Delicious El Salvador

Did you know that August 5th is "The Day of the Salvadoran American" in Maryland?  In New York, the same holiday is celebrated a day later on August 6th.

 

If you live in Los Angeles, Texas, New York, or Washington, DC, chances are you've tasted a pupusa, El Salvador's national dish. Delicious, inexpensive, and portable, pupusas are the perfect gateway into the El Salvadoran culture.

Alicia's pupusas with curtido and pickled onions

My first encounter with pupusas and El Salvadorans occurred during my first job. A co-worker at a department store that I interned at would bring the hot morsels of masa goodness wrapped in in aluminum foil for lunch. One bit of the hot, cheese filled cheese- filled patties and I was hooked. As Ana and I ate, she explained to me that when a civil war engulfed El Salvador in the 1980s, hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans fled their country and came to the United States. Now numbering near 3 million, Salvadorans are slated to become the 3rd largest Spanish speaking group in the U.S. by the next census.



  Chefs Fausto Amaya, Will Ortez, Ambassador Francisco Altschul  



In addition to serving up highly addictive street food, Salvadoran-Americans are often chefs and increasingly, proprietors, in kitchens of Mexican, Italian, French, Spanish, and Chinese restaurants. According to The Salvadoran-American Chamber of Commerce, there are more than 3,500 Salvadoran American owned businesses in the Washington, DC area alone. In addition to their contribution to the hospitality industry, Salvadoran-Americans are also represented in the U.S. political, construction, entertainment, sports, fashion, and technology industries.

 

I recently learned a great deal about the Salvadoran community and their cuisine thanks to my friend and fellow cookbook author Alicia Maher. Alicia was slated to attend the Taste of El Salvador event at the embassy in Washington, DC. When she found out that she wouldn't be able to make it due to a schedule conflict, she wrote to the ambassador and asked if I could attend in her place.

While I admittedly know less about the food of El Salvador than other cultures, I knew that there would be plenty of alluring aromas and robust flavors to tempt my palate. The event was as well executed as some of DC's most anticipated food fetes. The premise was to engage 6 Salvadoran chefs to use traditional (they referred to them as being pre-Columbian) ingredients in modern, fine dining style.



Quality coffee - NCBA cooperative 

The term "pre-Columbian" is used to refer to the main indigenous cultures in El Salvador prior to the arrival of Columbus such as the Nahuatl and Pipil tribes as well as others such as the Lenca, Jinca, Pokomám, Chortí, and Matagalpa peoples, explained Mr. Enilson Solano, Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs of the Embassy of El Salvador.  DC based, Salvadoran-American owned companies were invited to showcase the products needed to create the cuisine.

Some of the standout ingredients to try (if you haven't already) include:

 

Achiote, Cassava, Cebada, Horchata (note the variance from the widely available Mexican version) and Loroco.

 

 

 

 





With Valerie and Monica



One of the highlights of the event was running into my dear friend and writer extraordinaire Monica Bhide.....

I had such a great time that I promised Alicia that I would not blog about the event without first meeting her....because I wouldn't have been able to attend without her kind invitation!



Alicia's Chicken with tomatoes, onions and olives

On my next trip to LA, she invited me to her home for a taste of authentic cooking. Alicia is cosmopolitan, worldly, and extremely proud of her culture. Having travelled with the diplomatic community, our dinner conversation drifted from heartwarming stories about her homeland to funny anecdotes that she learned from the likes of Zubin Mehta while living in Israel.





Fresh Produce from Melissa's



Even though there were only three of us at the dinner, Alicia cooked enough for an army. She told me that she relied on my friends at Melissa's Produce to get the type of high quality fruits and vegetables that are integral to making traditional Salvadoran dishes.

Here is Alicia's sure-fire recipe for pupusas from her book, Delicious El Salvador. I had never had the squash filling and found the vegetable addition to be an improvement on what has already become a decadent favorite....

Squash (Calabazitas) and Cheese filled Pupusas

Pupusas Rellenas con Ayote y Queso

 



Alicia making pupusas
 

The Pipil, the indigenous people of El Salvador, are credited with the invention of the Pupusa. Cooking utensils found at the archaeological site Joya de Cerén (a village in the western part of the country buried in volcanic ashes after an eruption around 600 A.D.) indicate that pupusas were a staple in the daily diet of the inhabitants.

 

The word “pupusa” derives from the Nahuat language and it has two possible meanings, either “stuffed” or “puffy,” perhaps in reference to the fillings and how pupusas puff up after cooked.

 

Our Pipil ancestors filled them with ground red beans, vegetables, blossoms, and seafood. When the Spanish arrived in the first part of the 16th century they introduced new ingredients such as cheese and pork, and as a result, new varieties like the Mixed Pupusa emerged. In 2005, the Salvadoran government issued legislation designating the Pupusa the national dish of El Salvador. They are simply delicious and showcase the artisan quality of our culinary traditions.

Serves 6 (2 per person)
 

Ingredients:

 Squash filling for Pupusas (See recipe below)

2 cups finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup of Salvadoran cream (or substitute sour cream

     mixed with ½ teaspoon salt)

4 cups instant corn flour masa 

3½ to 4 cups water

½ cup water to wet hands

Combine the shredded cheese and cream and refrigerate.

Before starting the masa for the Pupusas, bring out the prepared fillings and let them stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, the fillings should be soft for use.

Preparing the Corn Masa Dough:

Place the corn masa flour in a shallow bowl. Mix in the water, 1 cup at a time, kneading by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough is moist and fluffy. If needed, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough can be prepared the day before, if covered and refrigerated.

Making the Pupusas – Method 1:

Divide the dough into 12 equal small balls. Divide the fillings equally for the 12 pupusas.

Take the dough ball in the palm of your hand, pushing the center of the ball with your fingers to make a well. Fill each pupusa with the squash and cheese fillings. When done, close the top by pushing and pinching the open space together, so that the end result will be a completely filled and sealed dough ball.

Wet your hands, press and pat each ball between your palms and flatten into a thin dough round that is about 4 inches in diameter and ¼-inch thick. Make sure the edges are nice and thin, but be careful not to press too hard so that the filling does not spill out of the sides.

Making the Pupusas – Method 2:

Divide the dough into 24 equal small balls. Divide the fillings equally for the 12 pupusas.

With wet hands, press and pat each ball between your palms and flatten into thin dough rounds that are about 4 inches in diameter and ⅛-inch thick. Place the flattened rounds on top of plastic wrap, waxed paper, or a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from sticking to any solid surface.

With your fingers or the back of a tablespoon spread the squash and cheese fillings evenly on the 12 flattened rounds. Cover these with the other 12 flattened rounds and seal the edges with your fingertips taking care that the edges are nice and thin.

Cooking the Pupusas:

Heat a non-stick griddle or large heavy skillet over a medium to high flame.

Typically, once the pupusas are formed by hand, using either method, they are placed straight onto the skillet or griddle. If you set them aside before cooking, make sure to wet your hands and gently pick up each pupusa, and pat lightly between the palms of your hands.

Gently place the pupusas on the hot surface and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, frequently turning them over to ensure even cooking. The pupusas are ready when they puff up and turn slightly golden. Serve with Pickled Cabbage, Onions, and Carrots

Squash filling for Pupusas

 The key to the preparation of the squash is making sure that it is completely drained of all liquid; otherwise the filling will be watery and mushy.

 2 cups shredded  squash

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 Take the shredded  squash and place it in a sieve, strainer, or colander over a bowl. Press down on the squash to squeeze the liquid out. You can also use your hands to do get the excess water out.

 In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium to high heat. Add the onion and tomato, stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add and combine the squash, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for about 1 minute, remove from the stove, and let it cool completely before using.

Pickled Cabbage, Onions, and Carrots
Curtido

This recipe is a must when serving Pupusas, Crispy Fried Yuca and Pork, or Empanadas. The sour-pickled flavor of the cabbage, onions, and carrots is a perfect complement to savory foods.

Serves 6

2 cups shredded green cabbage
½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup thinly sliced onion
4 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns (optional)
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes or 1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped (optional)

Using a large ceramic bowl or glass jar with a lid, combine and stir all the ingredients. Cover tightly with lid or plastic cling wrap; marinate overnight before serving. The Pickled Cabbage, Onions, and Carrots can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Mil gracias to Alicia, The Embassy of El Salvador and the El Salvadoran community of DC for their hospitality and participation. It was an honor to learn about such a vibrant culture and to be included in the festivities.