Arepas are the most popular food in Venezuela, although they are also famous in Colombia. Made with corn flour, this bread can be roasted or fried, filled with almost anything and served for breakfast or dinner, although for those who are not used to it, it is usually a fairly heavy meal.
Unlike the recipe for Venezuelan fried arepas that I shared a long time ago, in this recipe for fried corn arepas, I explain step by step the traditional way of making this type of corn arepas, not the appetizer ones but the ones that are served daily. In any Venezuelan house.
Ingredients to make Fried Corn Arepas:
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 cup of water (240 milliliters)
- 1 pinch of salt
- Cornmeal (yellow or white)
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Oil for frying
How to make Fried Corn Arepas:
The first step to make these delicious Venezuelan fried arepas is to gather all the ingredients. As you can see, I have included Parmesan cheese on the list, but this is not part of the original recipe, it is simply an extra ingredient that I personally like to include because it gives a touch of special flavor to the dough. It is important that to make the arepas dough the water is not cold, it will be enough that it is at room temperature. Then, mix the water with the melted butter and also add a little salt.
You can melt the butter in the microwave and it can be of any type, since what it brings is softness to the dough. Then add the cornmeal little by little as you stir with a spoon or fork. Add enough flour until you get a very soft but pliable dough. There will come a time when you will have to knead with your hands, the dough for the fried corn arepas should be as seen in the photo.
If you have overdone the amount of flour you can add more water. Remember that the dough is very hard, the arepas will be dry.
Tip: If you decide to use Parmesan cheese, you can add it to the dough at this step
Fried arepas have a very particular shape, like a classic arepa but thinner and with a hole in the center. What this hole does is help the arepa to cook well everywhere. So, to form the arepas, first make balls of dough, flatten them and finish by making a small hole in the middle with your finger. As it is seen in the photo. Fry the apepas in plenty of hot oil. The ideal is that you do it in a saucepan with enough oil so that the arepas float, in this way they will be made evenly from side to side. Make sure they brown well on both sides.
Remove the Venezuelan fried arepas to a plate with absorbent paper to remove excess oil and that’s it. You can now serve them as you like. Fried corn arepas can be served with almost anything, but yes, it is better to open them in half and put a little butter before any filling. I recommend trying them with shredded meat or with some scrambled eggs. Bon Appetite!
