Vegan Venezuelan Arepas
Vegan Venezuelan Arepas are easy to make, filling and absolutely delicious. Serve with spicy vegan jackfruit filling or black beans for a yummy meal.
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Ingredients
For Jackfruit filling:
- 1 20 oz. Can of Jackfruit
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
- 2~3 Garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 Medium Poblano Chili, roasted and finely chopped*
- 1½ cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 Bay leaf
- ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
- To taste Salt & Pepper
For Black Bean Filling:
- 2 teaspoons Oil
- 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
- 1~2 Garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 Medium Tomato, finely chopped
- 2 cups Cooked Black beans
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Chili powder
- ½~1 cup Water
- To taste Salt & Pepper
For Venezuelan Arepas:
- 2 cups Venezuelan or Colombian style masa harina flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2~2½ cups Warm Water, more if needed
- As needed Oil, for cooking the arepa
Instructions
Make the Jackfruit Filling:
- Rinse the jackfruit well, drain and shred the pieces with a fork into strands.
- Heat 1tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan, add the shredded jackfruit and cook till it is browned, stirring frequently. Remove onto a plate.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 1tbsp of oil and add onion, garlic and cook till they are lightly browned around the edges.
- Add the roasted poblano and vegetable stock - scrape the bottom to remove the brown bits.
- Add the browned jackfruit back into the pan along with the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 15~20 minutes.
- Jackfruit will be completely tender and would have absorbed all of the flavors.
Make Black Bean Filling:
- Heat oil in a saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook till the onions turn translucent.
- Add the tomato and cook till mushy, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the black beans, cumin, red chili powder, salt, pepper and water. Mix well and simmer for 5~8 minutes or until nice and thick.
Make Arepas:
- Combine precooked PAN cornmeal with salt in a large bowl.
- Make a well in the center and add warm water to form a soft dough. Use your fingers to remove any lumps.. You want a smooth and soft pliable dough. Add more water, if the dough seems too stiff.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll them into balls.
- Flatten the ball on your palm by gently patting it out. The resulting disc should be approximately 3.5"~4" wide and 1" thick.
- Gently place the 2~3 discs on a preheated, lightly greased skillet. Cook them for about 8~10 minutes on medium high until a crust is formed. Gently flip and cook for another 8~10 minutes.
- Transfer the arepas onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 12~15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through and golden on both sides.
- Arepas are ready to be sliced and filled.
Notes
- Make the fillings up to 2~3 days in advance. Keep them chilled in airtight containers and bring them to room temperature before serving. Warm in the microwave before filling.
- In the Jackfruit filling - I used roasted hatch chili salsa instead of the roasted poblano.
- Arepas are best served hot or keep them warm by loosely wrapping in foil. Reheat them on a hot skillet or warm them briefly in a microwave.
- Colombian Arepas are made with the same dough but they are made into a 5~6" wide disks that are ½" thick. Cook them on a preheated skillet until the crust firms up. There is no need to bake them.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Arepa | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 5mg
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