salvadoran

Salvadoran curtido is a lightly fermented cabbage relish. It's a salty, tangy, refreshing and delicious condiment and can be served with pupusas, tacos, bowls or more!

Salvadorian Curtido (Fermented Cabbage Relish)

cabbage,

carrots, shredded

white onion, sliced in half moons

serrano

tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

tsp coarse kosher salt

Mix the cabbage, carrots, onion, peppers, oregano, and...

Mix the cabbage, carrots, onion, peppers, oregano, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Let rest for 30 minutes to begin releasing moisture.

Sanitize a quart size (4 cup) mason jar...

Sanitize a quart size (4 cup) mason jar including lid with boiling hot water. Be careful to not burn yourself.

Pack the shredded vegetables into the mason jar,...

Pack the shredded vegetables into the mason jar, pressing down to tightly pack and release water. If the vegetables aren't covered with water, add a little bit of distilled water so they are covered. Optional: add sanitized glass weight to keep the vegetables submerged.

Put a lid over the jar but do...

Put a lid over the jar but do not screw it on to tightly seal as gas will build up the pressure in the jars if it can't be released. Alternatively use a specialty fermentation lid.

Leave the jars out at room temperature for...

Leave the jars out at room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 5 days. Taste after the first 24 hours and let continue to ferment until you reach your desired level of tanginess. Typically 48-96 hours is ideal.

Once fermented to taste, screw the lids on...

Once fermented to taste, screw the lids on and place in the fridge. It will stay good for at least 1 month.

Like its kissing cousin, the Mexican gordita, Salvadoran pupusas are a stellar corn flour pancake stuffed with fillings such as shredded cheese and braised meats, then griddled. Pupusas have the advantage of being stuffed before they're cooked, ensuring an irresistible gooey layer of cheese inside. Our recipe features a simple refried bean filling in addition to melted Oaxacan cheese, and gets topped with curtido, a simple cabbage, carrot and onion slaw.

Cheese and Bean Pupusas (Salvadoran Stuffed, Griddled Tortillas) with Cabbage Slaw Recipe

masa dough

recipe Perfect Refried Beans, cooled

queso Oaxaca

Vegetable oil,

recipe quick curtido

Hot sauce and lime wedges,

Using wet hands, roll masa dough into 15 golf-ball-sized balls. Place balls on a baking sheet and cover with a moist towel. Working with one ball at a time, use your thumb to press a deep indent into the ball, then use your hands to work it into a small "bowl" with a 1/4-inch-thick edge.

Place about 1 heaping tablespoon refried beans into the bottom of the "bowl," then top with about 1 heaping tablespoon shredded cheese. Using moist fingers, carefully bring dough edge together, enclosing the filling within, and press to seal. Roll the ball in your hands to return it to a uniform ball shape. Carefully pat pupusa down into a flat round about 4 inches wide and about 3/4 inch thick; if edges crack, run a wet finger around them to smooth them. Place pupusas on a baking sheet and keep covered with a towel as you work. Repeat with remaining masa balls and fillings.

Lightly coat a large cast iron skillet with oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add pupusas and fry, turning once, until well-browned and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Drain pupusas on a paper towel-lined plate, than transfer them to plates and top with curtido. Serve with hot sauce and lime wedges, if desired.

Pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador, are a simple and affordable recipe to make. Stuff them with cheese, meat, or vegetables, and fry them up for a filling snack or lunch!

Pupusa Recipe from El Salvador

masa harina

tsp kosher salt

water

mozzarella cheese

Vegetable oil (for cooking)

In a mixing bowl, whisk together salt and masa harina. Then use a mixing spoon to mix in the water. When the dough gets too hard to mix, begin kneading the dough with your hands until everything is combined.

Form the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Use your palm to flatten the balls into a disk.

When they are flat, lay about 1 tbsp of shredded cheese in the middle, then ball up the dough to form a ball again. Finally, flatten into a disk again now that the cheese is inside.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, and allow to heat up. Add the pupusa into the pan, and cook for about 5-10 minutes on one side, until the outside is crispy and you see a few small char marks. Flip the pupusa and grill again on the other side. Enjoy!

Sprinkle this toasty, salty Salvadoran seasoning on everything from scrambled eggs to vanilla ice cream, or use it as the backbone of your next broth.

Alguashte

raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

kosher salt

“Squash and pumpkins are huge crops in El Salvador, and the seeds never go to waste—they get toasted and ground to create alguashte,” says chef Anthony Salguero of Popoca in Oakland. Toasting pumpkin seeds brings out all of their untapped flavor, so be sure to take them to a deep golden brown color. You can use any variety you like, though the cook time may vary, so keep an eye on them as they toast. You can also sprinkle the seasoning on fruit with lime and hot sauce, vanilla ice cream, popcorn, even scrambled eggs, or try it in this seafood stew.

Bon Appétit

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pumpkin seeds on a large rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.

Transfer pumpkin seeds to a food processor, add salt, and pulse until very finely ground.

Do ahead: Alguashte can be made 4 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

These “like a thousand times fried” beans are a crucial part of a Salvadoran breakfast.

Super-Refried Beans

garlic cloves, smashed

black beans,

duck olive oil

jalapeño, split lengthwise

Kosher salt

extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Sour cream, sliced avocado, and warmed corn tortillas (for serving)

“There are lots of different kinds of refried beans throughout El Salvador, but in some mountain towns, you’ll get these amazing, really dense beans,” says chef Anthony Salguero of Popoca in Oakland. “My cousin calls them triple-fried, but it’s more like a thousand times fried. You just keep adding fat until the beans are thick enough to stand up on a plate, which is very common as part of a Salvadoran breakfast, with tortillas, eggs, fried plantains, avocado, and queso. They’re often made with lard, but I make mine with olive oil. It’s a little healthier, plus I’m cooking in California, so I try to be respectful of vegetarians who come in.” Serve these very rich beans in modest dollops with sour cream and avocado for scooping up with thick Salvadoran-style corn tortillas.

Pulse garlic in a food processor until very finely chopped. Scrape into a small bowl. Pulse beans and 3 Tbsp. water in processor (no need to clean) until a coarse paste forms, about 2 minutes.

Heat lard in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until lightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Immediately add beans, jalapeño, and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring and folding in beans with a heatproof rubber spatula, until incorporated and beans turn a shade darker, about 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add ¼ cup oil and cook, stirring often, until oil is absorbed and beans start to dry out at edges, about 5 minutes or so. Continue to cook, adding remaining oil by ¼-cupfuls every 5 minutes and stirring occasionally, until very thick and dark, 15–20 minutes. Discard jalapeño. Season with more salt if needed. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and tortillas.

Relajo is the foundation of many Salvadoran dishes; this version of the spice mix has bay leaves, achiote, chiles, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Relajo

pasilla chiles, seeds removed, torn into 1" pieces

star anise pods

cinnamon sticks

bay leaves

coriander seeds

oregano

Tbsp. sesame seeds

Tbsp. cacao nibs or ¼ cup (scant) unsweetened dark cocoa powder

Tbsp. cumin seeds

Tbsp. achiote (annatto) seeds

“Relajo is the foundation of so many Salvadoran dishes, but the spice mix varies depending on the dish or the cook,” says chef Anthony Salguero of Popoca in Oakland. “There are certain consistent elements—bay leaves, achiote, chiles, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds—and then more idiosyncratic additions like peanuts. It hits my palate like a Mexican mole and adds complexity to even simple dishes like this quick sautéed shrimp.” Toasting and grinding the spices in this warming blend unlocks all of their flavor. This recipe yields a lot, but you won’t have any trouble finding other uses for it: When you’re sweating aromatics for a braise, stir in a couple spoonfuls of relajo, turn it into a rub for grilled meats, or add a few big pinches to freshly fried potatoes.

Preheat oven to 325°. Scatter chiles, star anise, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, coriander seeds, oregano, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cacao nibs, cumin seeds, and achiote seeds on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly browned and chiles are crisp, 18–22 minutes. Let cool.

Transfer chile mixture to a blender and blend on high until finely ground, about 1 minute (be careful not to overprocess; you don’t want it to turn into a paste).

Do ahead: Relajo can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

The chicken bouillon, though optional, adds a hint of umami and a richness that you won’t get otherwise, perhaps thanks to the MSG most brands contain (no judgment!).

Salvadoran Salsa Roja

tomatoes,

½ medium white onion,

serrano chiles,

garlic

chicken bouillon powder

olive oil

The chicken bouillon, though optional, adds a hint of umami and a richness that you won’t get otherwise, perhaps thanks to the MSG most brands contain (no judgment!). Serve on its own with chips or with our pupusas and curtido.

Purée tomatoes, onion, chiles, garlic, and bouillon powder, if using, in a blender until smooth.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Carefully pour tomato mixture into pan; it will spit and bubble, so stand back! Cook salsa, stirring occasionally, until thick and darker in color, 20–30 minutes. Let cool.
Do ahead: Salsa can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.\

The longer this curtido recipe ferments, the better it’s going to taste. If you’re new to fermenting, this Salvadoran cabbage relish is an easy recipe to start with.

Curtido - Salvadoran Cabbage Relish

½ large head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

carrots,

½ large white onion, thinly sliced

serrano chiles, thinly sliced

garlic clove, finely grated

oregano,

Apple cider vinegar (for serving)

If you’re new to fermenting, this curtido recipe is a good place to start as it pickles quickly and easily. You can taste the difference in flavor every day, and the longer you let this Salvadoran cabbage relish ferment, the better it’s going to taste. Sure, it’s great as a fresh slaw, but by day three, you’ll see what we mean. The salty brine becomes tangier as it sits, meaning you may not need to add the vinegar.
Traditionally, curtido is served with Pupusas and pairs well with Salvadoran Salsa Roja, but it is also excellent used alongside grilled meats and heavier mains, or any time you want a bright and pickle-y topping.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on May 5, 2017.

Toss cabbage, carrots, onion, chiles, garlic, oregano, and 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 3 tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine. Let sit 30 minutes for cabbage to wilt. Transfer to an airtight container (such as a 2-qt. glass jar) and press down firmly on cabbage to release juices; liquid should be at or above level of vegetables. Tightly cover curtido and let sit at room temperature, tasting daily, until flavor is to your liking, at least 1 day and up to 5 days.

Just before serving, drizzle oil into curtido and toss to combine. Taste and season with vinegar and more salt if needed. (If serving after 48 hours or longer, curtido will be tangy and may not need vinegar.)
Do Ahead: Curtido can be made 1 week ahead. Chill after you have added the oil and seasoned.

These homemade pupusas are a classic Salvadoran recipe, stuffed with black beans and vegan cheese and topped with curtido and salsa roja. They're vegan, gluten free, and make a great snack or entree!

Homemade Salvadoran Pupusas

(240 grams) masa harina

tsp (3 grams) salt

(340 grams) warm water

tbsp (24 grams) oil

Black beans, drained and rinsed (~1/2 cup)

vegan cheese (~1/4 cup)

Jalapeños or sweet peppers, thinly sliced (1-2 peppers)

Curtido

Salsa Roja

Make the masa dough: in a large mixing...

Make the masa dough: in a large mixing bowl mix together the masa harina, salt, warm water, and oil with a wooden spoon. Knead it by hand for about 1 minute to make a smooth ball of dough. It should be soft but not very sticky. Cover and let rest for at least 15 minutes to fully hydrate.

Divide the dough into 6 pieces and keep...

Divide the dough into 6 pieces and keep covered. Take one piece of a dough at a time and flatten into a thick pancake between your hands, add about 1 tablespoon of black beans or filling to the center of the disk and then add a little vegan cheese and peppers. Fold the edges of the dough over to cover and meet in the center. Flatten it between your hands to make a thick stuffed pancake. See post for photos and video showing detail.

Place shaped pupusas on a tray (line with...

Place shaped pupusas on a tray (line with parchment paper to help prevent any sticking), and once they're all shaped, heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Add some oil to the pan or griddle...

Add some oil to the pan or griddle to lightly coat, then fry about 2-4 minutes on each side, until golden with some dark spots. Work in batches as needed until all are cooked.

Eat hot and topped with curtido or a...

Eat hot and topped with curtido or a cabbage slaw and salsa roja.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/ucwyyericnfogiijns5r.mp4

Pupusas are delicious stuffed masa (cornmeal) pancakes from El Salvador. This traditional recipe is easy to make and such a delicious snack! These ones are stuffed with black beans, peppers, and vegan cheese.

Shaping Homemade Salvadoran Pupusas

While masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, is mostly associated with Mexican cooking, there are other countries in Central America that utilize it for regional specialties. Pupusas, a stuffed and griddled corn cake hailing from El Salvador and Honduras, is one of these dishes. This version is stuffed with a quick bean and cheese mixture, but pupusas are a great home for leftovers; winter squash, braised meat and pressed, wilted greens all make exceptional fillings. As long as it’s fully cooked, not too wet and small enough to be flattened into the cake, anything can go inside. To dial up the authenticity and add some brightness, serve the pupusas with curtido, a pickled cabbage slaw traditionally served alongside.

Pupusas

neutral oil

jalapeño,

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

garlic cloves,

cumin

mozzarella

kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

oil,

NYT Cooking

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/29/multimedia/HE-pupusa-zphv/HE-pupusa-zphv-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/29/multimedia/HE-pupusa-zphv/HE-pupusa-zphv-threeByTwoLargeAt2X.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/29/multimedia/HE-pupusa-zphv/HE-pupusa-zphv-mediumSquareAt3X.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/29/multimedia/HE-pupusa-zphv/HE-pupusa-zphv-facebookJumbo.jpg

Make the filling: In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the oil, jalapeño and a pinch of salt. Cook until jalapeño has slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the beans and a pinch of salt. Mash with a fork or potato masher until most of the beans are mashed but mixture is still chunky. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool, 10 to 15 minutes. Once cool, remove from the fridge and stir in mozzarella until combined. Divide the mixture into 4 portions. 

Make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the masa harina, salt and ¾ cup warm water. Mix with straight, stiff fingers to form a dough. Using both hands, roll into a ball and return to the bowl. The dough should not be overly sticky, but also shouldn’t be so dry it crumbles. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Divide the masa into 4 portions and roll into balls. While working with one ball, keep the others covered so they don’t dry out. Using your thumb, create a divot in the middle of the ball. Continue pressing all around the divot to create a bowl shape large enough to hold 1 portion of the bean filling.

Add the bean filling to the masa and pinch around the edges until it’s closed. Roll again to make a uniform ball and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Using the palm and fingers of one hand, press the ball into a ½-inch-thick cake that is about 4½ inches in diameter. (Masa is very malleable, so pinch to close any cracks. It’s OK if some filling pokes through the surface of the corn cake.) Repeat with remaining portions of dough. If at any point the masa is cracking too much, moisten your hands with warm water and knead masa to reintroduce some moisture into the dough. 

In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, gently add the pupusa by putting it on your fingertips and placing it in the pan away from you like you are waving away a fly. Add a second pupusa to the pan and fry both until the sides touching the pan are crispy with splotches of darker spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pupusas and cook until the second sides are also crispy, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt. If there is any residue in the pan, wipe it out with a paper towel and start with fresh oil to cook the remaining  pupusas. Serve warm with curtido or salsa alongside, if desired.

How delish!!! I veered off with the beans and followed everything else exactly - so so so yummy I cannot overstate it. The video was also so helpful - Ham explains things in the best way.

As a Honduran-American I just want to say thank you! I love that you put your own twist! I’m pretty excited to try some of these methods and see how it enhances the flavors. 🇭🇳

Invite friends of all ages. Show them the video. Have them make their own pupusas!  Instant party!

Fantastic. I could not have done this without Ham El-Waylly. His video walked me through all the steps and was an inspiration.  Talk about the joy of cooking.  Thank you.

I adore recipes like this. They humble me. I say "I'll watch the video and just do what he does" and then I will never again have to pay someone who has been making this dish his or her entire life to demonstrate the technique. Well, it turns out it's really hard. Stick with the expert, and tip him or her generously.

I love these pupusas. I added some charred poblano pepper from last summer that I had in the freezer because I was a little short on beans. Thanks to the wonderful demo of how to fill them and the explanation of the desired low masa to filling ratio, I finally achieved non-doughy pupusas. Crisping them in oil is genius and really adds a layer of flavor without making them greasy. And the test for doneness by looking for slight oozing was very helpful. Mine were indeed molten inside. I served them with homemade 
curtido and a traditional red salsa. If I score some squash blossoms, I’ll definitely try out that variation. The beauty of the pupusa, IMO, is that there are so many different filling variations. I know they were good because I’d planned four meals for two and made 8 pupusas. However, my husband went back for another half, and I may have pecked at the remaining half a little.

Making this tonight (I made carnitas yesterday for filling) and just want to say that your explanations in the video were incredible. And your enthusiasm was contagious, making my pretty cruddy day suddenly feel brighter. Watch the video, folks, and learn from DJ Pupusito!

This was a difficult recipe for me. There was too little dough for the filling. I had trouble getting the dough thin enough yet supportive for the filling. I used about 1/4 of the bean filling suggested, it spilled out. I cooked it longer than was indicated and the dough was raw, although crispy on the outside. Ultimately, I made tortillas, warmed the bean mixture and served with curtido. It was okay. Maybe I need to practice with this dough. I have a lot of curtido leftover.

I had to add more water to get it to a dough like texture. In hindsight, I wish I had added more to get it even more hydrated. 

Don’t expect a traditional pupusa recipe here. However, it was tasty for a first time experience trying to make pupusas. Helped demystify them for me, and make them more approachable.

Doubled the recipe and seemed to have the right masa to bean ratio…each ball of masa was about 1.5-2 inches, and I put about a quarter cup of bean filling in. We’ll see how they taste and how the ratio works in bites. Really fun to make and not too intimidating.

I LOVE PUPUSAS but I've never thought of them as crispy. I love them doughy and melty with spots of caramelized cheese where it happened to ooze out. This is an interesting take - but I might up the masa-to-filling ratio a bit when I try it. And curtido is A MUST. Heaps of it, in my book. And the salsa roja? Who has a recipe for the classic salsa roja? I need that!

It definitely helps to compact the filling into a ball before sticking it in the masa, then you won't have too little masa to cover it.

These aren't pupusas salvadoreñas and I would love to see those properly shared. Including the option for rice flour. But, I think anything stuffed in corn and fried could be good. Just don't call it a pupusa.

I wonder what I'm doing wrong—I make these often, but the final thing had always been unpleasantly dry till I added oil to the dough. But I know from many recipes that that's not traditional.

Watching the YouTube video, I would call these pupusas-like. These are way too thick, and they should not be fried. There are other things like wrong beans, jalapeno, green salsa. I'm sure this recipe makes something tasty. 😆 Love Sohla and Ham for sure, but should have had Karla Tatiana Vasquez (SalviSoul) as guest to make real pupusas. I would call this an interpretation of pupusas by someone who is not Salvadoreno. Still good that NYT has taken an interest in the Salvadoran national dish.

I was taught not to use oil, just a very hot comal (skillet), to cook a pupusa. 
No spices in the beans, though **red bean refried beans** are a must. No black bean and no pinto bean. 
My pupusas were judged on how well I got the filling into every bite.
Pupusas with crispy cheese bites are the faves here.
Catch a video to see the technique of making a bowl in your palm, adding the filling, then patting it back-and-forth to flatten it.

Based off previous times I’ve made pupusas, the jalapeno and seasonings aren’t really needed for it to be good. To save the trouble of mashing the beans its very convenient to buy red refried beans.

Few things. Frijoles rojos de seda are the proper beans to use. I'm glad pinto is not suggested here, though. Not available everywhere, so look for red beans instead, particularly in the international sections of stores, or a hispanic grocery store. Might be easier to just buy them already refried if you plan to make them the day of. 
Also cumin? Not needed.
Pupusas are difficult! And messy. Takes lots of practice to get desired masa to filling ratio.

My first attempt at this was a messy disaster. I had way too much filling for the dough, but everything tasted great.  I’m just curious if the ratios of dough to filling are working for others or if Im just a disaster at the filling process.

OMG, these are magic! Whatever dreary stir fry thing you made that's dry and a bit boring...just wrap it all up in the magic masa, fry well, and everything will taste 100% better!

After watching the YouTube video— I am not convinced the aim was to make pupusas. What was produced was a mix between Venezuelan Arepas and Mexican Gorditas.

Appreciate the exposure of what the dish is. For folks out there looking for pupusas, support local Salvadorean businesses and buy from them, OR follow this tutorial recipe for the right way to make them: <a href="https://youtu.be/eKL4VcCCOcA?si=U7q0T0cba7ONSDer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/eKL4VcCCOcA?si=U7q0T0cba7ONSDer</a>

My filling to masa ratio made for a huge mess. After scaling back the filling it was much easier. I also watched videos on YouTube by Bryan Ford and Rick Martinez. Between the three recipes, I think I got the hang of it. These are so tasty but take practice to figure out how to properly hydrate the dough, fill, and flatten into cakes.

These were great!  But don't judge my choice of filling: shredded mozzarella and drained, diced kimchi...

I love ordering pupusas from any number of pupuserias along Bergenline Avenue in Hudson County, NJ. My own attempts to make have been hilarious, messy disasters.

I recognize that this recipe was developed by a professional and tested in a test kitchen, therefore I believe that all the blame for last night's meal was me.  Maybe I used the wrong masa harina. Maybe I did not get the masa to the right consistency.  Maybe I did something else wrong.  Whatever I did wrong, this recipe had no forgiveness for my mistake and the result was a sub-par dinner.  It was a lumpy mess of masa and beans.  Try this a few times before making for a crowd.

Made this recipe twice— once with masa harina, and once with some bob’s red mill corn flour I had in the pantry. Obviously the masa harina is the way to go for traditional papusas, but this recipe also worked just fine with the corn flour— a little grittier and more “buttery”, as yellow corn tends to be, but still delicious. Made the curtido a couple days before to let it pickle in the fridge, and topped the whole thing with some pickled jalapeños. Delish!

Great with leftover taco seasoned hamburger and cheese. Could use all kinds of fillings, yum!

Parents: These are great if you have little kids. My littles really enjoy making the papusas (and eating them). We’ve even let the kids have a papusa-making party with friends. Big hit.

https://vp.nyt.com/video/2025/01/17/132657_1_Pupusas-YT-Video_wg_480p.mp4

The New York Times Cooking

“Every time I say ‘DJ Pupusito,’ can we get an air horn in the background? [AIR HORN IMPERSONATION]: And, like, pop some shades on me and just, like, a GIF of a turntable just spinning, but instead of a turntable, they’re pupusas.” [MUSIC PLAYING] “Hi, I’m Ham El-Waylly, and today, we’re making pupusas. Pupusas come from El Salvador and Honduras. I worked with a cook from El Salvador and another cook from Honduras, and they would fight constantly about whose pupusas were superior. Its masa harina, or nixtamalized corn ground into a flour and dried, that is made into a dough with water. And then you fill it with all kinds of different fillings. My personal favorite is just a simple refried bean and cheese mixture. You griddle that until they’re cooked on both sides and the center is molten, and then you eat that with salsa. And if you want to keep it tradish, they have it with this kind of vinegary coleslaw mixture known as curtido. And also, to have a little bit of fun, I’m going to do another variation, which is a spin on one of my favorite quesadillas, which is a squash blossom and Oaxacan cheese quesadilla. So I’m going to take that and shove that inside of a pupusa, which I’m sure will be delicious. Let’s do this. We’re about to make our bean filling for the pupusa. First things first, we’re going to deseed and finely dice our jalapeno. So you want to get in with the tip of your knife around the top, where the stem would be, and you’re cutting out all of that white pith and those seeds. And if you get your knife in at the right angle, it all comes out in one easy bit. And any leftover seeds that you may have, you can just tap them out. Then we’re going to cut thin slices. Move down as you slice. To mince the garlic, thin slices all the way around. Then you turn it, and then do the same thing. And what you end up is with a grid sort of deal so that when you cut across, you already have finely minced garlic without having to cut over it over and over and over again, because then your garlic changes in flavor. So I’m looking for minced garlic, not mashed garlic. But again, these are your refried beans. You can blend them for all I care. Just give that a once over. In that goes. And then we’re going to start preheating our pan. You want to make sure that your pan, especially stainless steel, carbon steel, and cast irons are sufficiently heated through to get some kind of nonstick effect because if you go into a cold pan right now with, really, anything, it’s probably going to stick. All right? Pan’s hot. Oil goes in. So you see how it immediately loosens and kind of just flies all over the place, and you get a little web in the middle, and it’s really loose. That’s how you know your pan is hot. You want that to happen as soon as you add your oil to the pan. And in we go with our jalapenos.” [SIZZLING] “We’re going to season that with a bit of salt. So we just want to cook this until the jalapeno is a little softened. It’ll take a couple of minutes. So I want to push down on it. If it still feels crunchy, it needs a little bit more time, O.K.? Our jalapenos have softened. And we’re going to go in with our cumin and our garlic. We just want to cook it enough so that we can smell it, until you get that wave of toasted cumin and toasted garlic. Ooh, I really smell that garlic and cumin. So we’re going to go in with our beans. Hit it with a nice pinch of salt. And now, we’re going to go in with that potato masher, and then we’re going to mash up our beans. If you don’t have a potato masher, you can get in there with a fork. You just want to break up the beans. You don’t want to go too crazy with the salt right now because you’re still adding cheese to it. I’m going to taste it again once I mix the filling with the cheese, and then reseason it if needed. So my refried beans go into this bowl to cool because hot filling in a pupusa is not a good idea. Really, a hot filling in anything— you can’t hot fill an empanada. You can’t hot fill a dumpling. You can’t hot fill pasta. So if this is your filling, and it’s going into something else, you probably want it to chill. So I’m going to pop this in the fridge until it is fully cool, not lukewarm. It needs to be fully cooled. Pupusa filling and making can get a little bit messy, so I popped on an apron. I’m going to add my mozzarella to my refried beans, going to stir that in. You might need to use your hands to really get it incorporated. And now, I’m going to divide this into four portions. Just using my fingers, just cutting them, and then roll them into a ball. And then you can pop them right in the same bowl because then we’re going. To put it back in the fridge to chill some more while we make our masa. Man, this smells so good. I can’t wait until this gets all melty and gooey. If any balls look a little bigger than the other, just pinch some from one. Add it to the other. Our balls are balls, and they’re equal. Off to the fridge. While the filling chills in the fridge, let’s make our masa for the pupusas. In here, I have high quality masa harina. When you’re starting to make this dough, I wouldn’t just add the entire amount of water from the get-go. I would just add half of the amount of water, and then increase it until you’re at the perfect consistency. Adding a nice hefty, maybe a couple pinches of salt, and then I’m using stiff fingers to whisk everything together. So I’m looking to get everything moistened. And you see how there’s a lot of dry spots of masa? That means that I need more water. I’m going to add the rest of my water -- stiff fingers. Some parts are clearly moistened really well, but there’s still a lot that’s dry, so I’m going to give it a little knead to see how much better I can distribute the water throughout. But it still looks a little crumbly, so that means that I’m going to need more water. It’s really helpful to use your hand when mixing doughs like this because it’s really important that you feel the dough. That’s how you know that it’s hydrated enough or that you’ve added enough water. This is looking a lot better. I’m kneading it around. I want to make sure that there are no pockets of dry masa stuck to the bowl. So now, let’s do a test. You want to be able to take a lump of dough. It’s moist. It’s not sticking to my hand. It’s leaving a very fine residue. And when I roll it into a ball and squish it in between my hands, there’s minimal to almost no cracking along the edges. So that tells me that when I roll it out and try and fill it and press it together, it’s less likely to crack because it’s moist enough to stay together. At this point, we’re going to cover it and let the masa hydrate a little bit more. We’re going to let it rest for 10 minutes before portioning it and filling it up, and then cooking them off. Make sure to keep your water close, though, because after resting, as the masa soaks up more of that liquid, you might need another splash just to keep it loosey-goosey and easy to form. While the masa rests, we’re going to make another filling. Here, I have squash blossoms. So to clean these, you’re going to grab the bottom, and then you’re just going to gently pull it off while gripping right underneath the stem. And then, you’ll see this come out. This is what you’re removing from your zucchini blossom. Texturally, it’s not great. It’s a little gritty, and it kind of throws off what makes the zucchini blossom so spectacular is that it has this delicate silkiness as soon as warmth hits it. And so you don’t even need a knife for this filling. You’re just going to pull it apart into strips, and then pop it in a bowl. And then we’re going to repeat with all of these. The reason you’re pulling them apart is because when you pull queso Oaxaca apart, which is the cheese we’re using in this pupusa, you do it in the same way. It’s kind of like the best version of a cheese stick. And it has these strands that you just pull apart. Don’t be scared about what you put in your pupusa. You can really put anything in there. There are just a couple of rules. You want to make sure that your pupusa filling is cold when you fill it, and you want to make sure it’s not something too wet. If it’s too wet, it’s going to make the pupusa feel a little gummy because of that extra moisture from the inside. It’s not going to cook properly. Look at how pretty that looks. We’re going to mix this with our queso Oaxaca. Just fluff it up, so you get the cheese distributed throughout. That already looks really good. Let’s do this. So our masa is rested. We have our fillings made. Let’s pupusa it up. All right, look at that. Dough feels really nice, very light residue, no real stickiness. It feels really malleable, squishing it out. It’s feeling good. If at any point, it feels like your dough’s drying out or cracking too much, and you don’t feel like it needs enough water to add to the dough, all you need to do is moisten your hands, and that’s enough to reintroduce a little moisture into your dough. I’m going to eyeball four portions. We’re going to make four pupusas. We’re going to make two refried beans and two squash blossoms. So I just cut this into four, and then I’ve got my first ball. So I roll it into a ball, and then I make a little divot in the center with my finger. And then with my thumb on the inside and my finger on the outside, I slowly start making that cavity larger, just like that pottery class in Fort Greene that you started taking at the beginning of the new year, that you probably will stop taking by the end of February. So I got a nice-looking pocket here, and then in we go with our filling. From here, you’re going to start knocking it against your hand. And that will both help the filling settle into the bottom while raising the edges. And then when you have enough at the top to pinch it shut, and then you re-roll it into the ball until it seems fully sealed. And then from here, we’re just going to gently start pressing it into a disc. You’re looking for around a half-inch thick. That looks about right. And then just using the edge of your fingers, just pat the edge together to keep it all in check. Now, this is important to note. There are a lot of things that you want perfect, perfectly sealed. Like a soup dumpling, you want perfectly sealed because if you lose that liquid on the inside, you’re losing all of the fun. This is not one of those things. If you see a little bit of filling peeking out through some cracks, that is totally O.K. because as it cooks, some of the cheese is going to seep out and crisp up against the pan. And that ends up becoming even crispier than the regular pupusa, so that is something that I always look for. So if I see a little bit seeping out, don’t bother trying to pinch it shut. Don’t bother trying to smooth it over with some more masa. It’s perfect just the way it is. Cracks are O.K. Let cracks live. There we go. So I’m popping this on a sheet tray lined with parchment and with a moist paper towel on top, just to keep that dough from drying out too much and cracking. So we got our other one, same deal. We’re making our little masa vase or vase. And then same deal, knock it in. Press it down. We’re slowly bringing the top, sealing it, rolling it up, and then same deal. Press, pupusa dos, and now I’m going to return the bean filling to the fridge for later pupusa-ing. So the other one was a filling that you could roll into the ball and just drop in. This is more of a dry filling, so you’re kind of stuffing it more, cramming it in there. But you still start the same way.” [MUSIC PLAYING] “So we’re just going to grab a handful, cram it in. And just when you think it can’t take anymore, just grab another little pinch, and just go for it. Again, roll into a ball. I’m seeing little hints of cracking with this dough, which means that it’s starting to dry out. So at this point, I’m just going to wet my hands a bit for this final part. This crack is not too big. I might have moistened my dough just a bit too much. You can tell because of all the residue that’s in my hands, but it’ll be O.K. So these little bits, some cheese will seep out, and it’s going to get really nice and crispy. It just means we got to be a little more delicate with it. You can pop that down right there. So I’ve got a 12-inch cast iron over medium heat. I preheated it so the pan is nice and hot. I’m going to add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan fully, and I’m going to heat that oil up until it kind of shimmers and really glides along the surface of the cast iron. That’s how you know your oil is sufficiently hot. Everyone’s going to be calling me Dr. Pupusito once we’re done over here. DJ Pupusito.” [AIR HORN] “The oil feels hot, but before I commit fully, I’m just going to give it a test. So I put the edge of my pupusa up against the oil, and it’s not— it’s not giving me that sizzle that I’m looking for. So I’m going to give the oil a little bit more time. There we go. You hear that kind of sizzle? You’re seeing more violent bubblage. Now I feel ready to commit. Pupusas down. ‘Pupusa’ is such a fun word to say. You’re looking for this gentle bubblage. Anything that’s too crazy, the outside is going to brown and cook too much before the inside gets warm enough. So you want to coast. You want it to take its time. You want it to get crisp. You want to get warm throughout. This isn’t a steak. You’re not looking for hard sears. It’s just, like, gentle. Ooh, these are -- these are some good-looking pupusas. DJ Pupusito strikes again. For something like this, I’m looking for visual cues. I want the bottom to be crisp, and when you look along the side, you see as it cooks, it looks less raw. The actual masa changes shade. So when the bottom is crisp and golden brown, and the cooked level looks like it’s halfway through, that’s when I like to flip to cook the other side. We’re getting ready to flip. I’m going to flip. Look at that. Nice and golden brown, crisp. DJ Pupusito. [AIR HORN IMPERSONATION]: Look at that. Ooh, that is crisp. That’s going to be good. The main indicator that they’re fully done is that you can see the filling starting to bubble out. That means that the inside is molten, just like in ‘Chef.’ That inside is molten. Anyone get that reference? I forgot the name of the chef. I was going to say his name. What was his name? Jon Favreau, Jon frickin’ Favreau. Ooh, nice and golden brown. I like to keep them on a rack instead of popping them on paper towels because that air circulation means that there’s no steamage, and no steamage means no sogginess. So that will make sure that the top and bottom stay crisp. Immediately season them with a little bit of salt, and then I’m going to grab my accoutrements for my pupusas.” [MUSIC PLAYING] “All right, pupusas— ready. Curtido— on the plate. Salsa verde— on the plate. I’m going to start with the classic refried bean and cheese. I’m really excited. Oh, look at that. Solid pull. I’m going to try some on its own. Mm. Pupusas are such a fun texture to eat because you get this really thin, crispy shell on the outside, and then you get to fluffy, tender masa. Then you get to really flavorful refried beans, and then you get the same thing on the other side. Mm. And that’s built really well. See how much filling there is in comparison to masa? That’s what you’re looking for. You know what I’m going to say. DJ Pupusito strikes again.” [QUIET AIR HORN] “Let me get into the experiment. Oh, yeah. Look at that. Queso Oaxaca is an elite stretchy cheese. Cheese is really subtle and neutral, so it doesn’t overpower or overshadow the squash blossoms. So squash blossoms have this really silky texture, but they have a hint of zucchini. So it’s like you’re getting zucchini and cheese in a really chill, really milky, really stretchy way. Can’t go wrong. I’m going to spice it up with a little curtido and some salsa verde. The curtido adds just enough heat and acidity to really lift the pupusa. You definitely need the curtido to help cut it. And if you have the two of these, you can just pupusa and curtido all day long. Pupusas, huh? What a gift to the world. Thank you, El Salvador, slash, Honduras. You can find this recipe and others on NYT Cooking. Spin the pupusa.” [LAUGHS] [AIR HORN]

Top 10 salvadoran recipes from across the web

The most viewed salvadoran recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Salvadorian Curtido (Fermented Cabb...

Cheese and Bean Pupusas (Salvadoran...

Pupusa Recipe from El Salvador

Alguashte

Super-Refried Beans

Relajo

Salvadoran Salsa Roja

Curtido - Salvadoran Cabbage Relish

Homemade Salvadoran Pupusas

Pupusas

Top 10 salvadoran recipes from across the web

The most viewed salvadoran recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Salvadorian Curtido (Fermented Cabb...

Cheese and Bean Pupusas (Salvadoran...

Pupusa Recipe from El Salvador

Alguashte

Super-Refried Beans

Relajo

Salvadoran Salsa Roja

Curtido - Salvadoran Cabbage Relish

Homemade Salvadoran Pupusas

Pupusas

The most viewed salvadoran recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine