Venezuelan/Colombian Arepas recipe
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Recipe to make Venezuelan Arepas, Arepa Recipe.
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230-250 grams of pre-cooked cornmeal (in Latin America usually the brand PAN is used) Products (latinproducts.uk)
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A teaspoon of salt
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Optional: 20 grams of butter
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300 grams of water (you may need more, depending on the conditions of your pre-cooked cornmeal)
Mix the cornmeal, salt and if using butter into a bowl, add the water and knead with your hands until a soft ball forms. It shouldn't have cracks but be rather smooth and a bit sticky. Add more water if it is too dry. Arepas tend to be a bit dry, so rather have the dough a bit too moist than too dry. Let rest for about 5 minutes.
Divide dough into four parts, about the size of a tennis ball. Press down to form circles, smooth edges. If the edges have cracks, use a bit of water.
Possible methods: Most common is to grill the arepas for about 8 minutes on each side. You can also fry them with a bit melted butter in a frying pan, or grill them in the oven at about 230 degrees Celsius and the grilling option. They tend to take around 10 minutes on each side. Deep-frying also works, at about 180 degrees Celsius for a few minutes or until lightly golden.
Serve warm and spread butter on top, season with some salt. Some people like to serve arepas with scrambled eggs and some freshly pressed juice or hot cocoa for breakfast or dinner.