Fried arepas stuffed with egg

How to make Colombian arepas with egg .

There are several countries in Latin America where bread made with corn flour is consumed, the famous arepas .

Rather, round cakes of dough that are widely used within the gastronomic culture of many regions.

I am referring to the arepas , from Colombia and Venezuela, the gorditas from Mexico and the papusas from El Salvador.

But this product has a close and questioned origin. Chroniclers and anthropologists, assure that the arepa existed before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.

Corn in particular, is listed as one of the basic foods of the indigenous diet throughout the continent. The indigenous cumanagotos, inhabitants of the area that now corresponds to the Venezuelan state of Sucre, are the first to consume a round-shaped bread that they called erepa , made with corn flour.

On the other hand, we know that it was in Colombia as in Venezuela that the oldest evidence of the existence of corn is available, some 3,000 years ago. With these data we can assure that Colombia, with and without Venezuela, is the cradle of the traditional arepa.

The shapes and fillings of this corn cake are countless. With thick or thin dough, more or less large depending on the area, the way of kneading and the way of cooking, baked, roasted or fried.

One of the most traditional is the fried and egg-filled arepa, which is made mainly in the Colombian department of La Guajira.

The elaboration is somewhat more extensive than the baked or roasted arepa, an initial frying is carried out that allows the arepa to be opened as an envelope to put the egg and return the arepa to the hot oil to finish off the process.

Preparation of Colombian arepas with egg

1. In a bowl we mix the water, which we have previously heated, with the salt and the coloring. Stir lightly.
2. We add the flour little by little while we integrate it with the help of a fork.
3. When we have all the flour incorporated in the water, knead with our hands until we get a smooth and dry dough.
4. We divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form small balls. We take each of the portions and flatten them by placing them between the palms of our hands. We should get dough discs as round as possible.
5. We heat a good amount of oil, so that the arepas can be floating in it.
6. When the oil is very hot, add 1 or 2 arepas. We fry only on one side for 2 or 3 minutes.
7. We remove the arepas from the oil and let them rest for a few seconds to be able to manipulate them.
8. With the tip of the knife we ​​count a part of the edge of each arepa so that a small mouth remains. We crack an egg in a jar and introduce the egg through the opening of the arepa.
9. Return the arepa to the hot oil, so fill with the egg and let it cook over medium / high heat on both sides for 3-4 minutes.
10. When they have acquired color and the egg has curdled, we remove the arepas to a tray with kitchen paper to remove part of the excess oil. We serve freshly made.

Here you have all the step-by-step photos of the recipe for egg-filled arepas   in this album. Do not miss any detail and it will be perfect.

Tips for perfect Colombian arepas with eggs

• It is not necessary to knead a long time. When the dough is homogeneous it will be ready. We will have a dry texture, which will not stick to our hands.
• We can help ourselves with a roller to make the arepas smoother and finer. To avoid paying the dough to the work surface when rolling the roller, we place each dough disc between two transparent plastics.
• We must make sure that the arepas have swollen in the process of the first fry. They must be hollow inside to be able to fill them with the egg.
• For this we must bathe them with oil from the pan while they cook on the underside.