Cheese, Bean, and Chili Pupusas

I wanted to make some gluten free rolls or bread, and came upon a recipe for cheese pupusas.
Pupusas are similar to corn tortillas, but are thicker and are usually stuffed with cheese, beans, meat, or some combination.
I made some for Doug to take camping. (My first batch had the cheese mixed directly into the dough.)
I decided to make some stuffed ones for my dinner tonight.

Note: My recipe below will make 4 cheese, bean, and chili pupusas -- I make separate top and bottom pieces, and sandwich the fillings between them.
   

 

Ingredients: (for 4 puposas)

• 1 cup masa harina (corn flour - not corn meal or corn starch)
• 3/4 cup warm to hot water (maybe 105 to 110 degrees)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup diced feta cheese
• 6 ounces or so refried beans
• 4 ounces or so diced green chilis (canned is fine)

 

Instructions:

1. Add the corn flour to a medium bowl. 
2. Stir 1/4 of the hot water into the corn flour. Add the rest of the water in stages, stirring it in. 
3. Stir/knead the dough until it forms a soft cohesive ball.
   
   
   
   You are looking to create a soft pliable dough that holds together well. (The http://noshon.it/blog/2014/02/how-to-make-el-salvadoran-pupusas/ site shows dry, correct, and wet dough. My second dough was a bit wetter than their 'correct' one, but it rolled out great.)
   
   
   
   
4. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes or so.
5. While the dough is resting, mix cheeses together.
6. Cut the dough into 8 even pieces. (For a top and a bottom piece for each pupusa.)
7. Preheat a heavy pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the pan 
8. Roll or squish out two pieces of dough into two circles (I patted it flat between plastic wrap to about a 5 inch circle.)
9. Spread one rolled out dough circle with about an ounce of refried beans. Top with 1/4 of the cheese, and 1 ounce or so of diced green chilis.
10. Place the second rolled out dough piece over the topped one, and gently seal edges.
11. Repeat Steps 7 - 10 to make 3 more pupusas.
12. Cook the pupusas for 3 - 6 minutes per side, depending on how hot your pan is.
    (You could also follow the instructions from the link on "How to Make El Salvadoran Pupusas" in Step 3 for my steps 5 - 10.)

 

Carole's Notes:

The recipe evolved during the day. I started off with this recipe: http://www.mimaseca.com/en/recetas/detalle/gorditas-and-pupusas/93/
and I made the pupusas without the pork rounds as a soft bread for gluten free friends of Doug.
They looked like this:
 
I found several more recipes, including http://www.whats4eats.com/breads/pupusas-recipe
I found using hot water made the dough stick together better. Traditional pupusas are topped with a spicy cabbage slaw - I did not make that.