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Vegan Pupusas, vegan recipe

Vegan Pupusas

Hand-patted corn masa cakes filled with cumin-scented black beans and a melting dairy-free cheese, cooked on a griddle until crisp and speckled outside and soft inside, then served with a tangy quick curtido.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Masa dough
  • 2 cups masa harina instant corn masa flour, not cornmeal or cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water plus more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Black bean and cheese filling
  • 1 cup cooked black beans drained and rinsed if canned
  • 1/2 cup vegan cheese shreds a melting dairy-free mozzarella or similar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Quick curtido
  • 3 cups green cabbage finely shredded
  • 1 medium carrot grated
  • 1/4 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Method
 

  1. Whisk the masa harina and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the warm water and mix with a spoon, then knead with your hands for about 2 minutes, until it comes together into a soft, smooth ball that holds its shape and does not crack at the edges. If it crumbles and feels dry, work in warm water a tablespoon at a time; if it feels sticky, sprinkle in a little more masa harina.
  2. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 minutes so the masa hydrates all the way through. While it rests, make the filling and the curtido.
  3. For the filling, mash the black beans with the cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until mostly smooth, then stir in the vegan cheese shreds. For the curtido, toss the cabbage, carrot, and red onion with the vinegar, warm water, salt, and oregano in a bowl and set it aside to soften while you cook.
  4. Roll a scant quarter cup of dough into a ball and press it into a flat 4-inch round in your palm. Add about a teaspoon of the bean mash and a teaspoon of the vegan cheese to the center, then bring the edges up and pinch them together to seal. Press the filled ball back into a 4-inch round, working gently so the filling stays in the middle.
  5. Patch any cracks or thin spots with a scrap of dough pressed on and smoothed with a wet finger. Set the finished pupusas on a parchment-lined plate and cover them with a towel as you work.
  6. Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush it with a little oil. Cook the pupusas in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, until the surface is set and speckled brown and the pupusa feels firm when pressed with a spatula. Add a splash more oil between batches if the pan looks dry.
  7. Serve the pupusas hot with the curtido spooned over the top, and add a spoonful of tomato salsa if you like.

Notes

Masa harina is the nixtamalized corn flour sold as instant corn masa, and it is the only flour that gives pupusas their texture; cornmeal is too coarse and cornstarch is a different ingredient entirely. Brands absorb water differently, so judge the dough by feel rather than by the number: it should be soft like play dough and press flat without tearing. Any dairy-free melting cheese works, though a mozzarella-style shred melts closest to the traditional filling. The curtido tastes even better after an hour in the fridge and keeps for about a week, so it is worth making a little extra.