Pupusas

Ingredients

• plain tomato sauce (4 cups)
• water (1 cup)
• fresh cilantro (4 bunches)
• green bell pepper (1 )
• onion (1 )
• garlic (2 cloves)
• chicken bouillon (1 cube)
• salt (0 )
• cabbage (0.5 head)
• carrot (1 large)
• white vinegar (0.5 cup)
• scallions (3 )
• dried oregano (2 tablespoons)
• crushed red pepper flakes (1 pinch)
• bacon (1 (12 ounce) package)
• tomatoes (4 )
• green bell pepper (1 )
• Monterey Jack cheese (1 cup)
• garlic (2 cloves)
• masa harina (4 cups)
• water (2 cups)
• vegetable oil (0.5 cup)

Instructions

1. Combine tomato sauce, water, cilantro, green bell pepper, onion, crushed garlic, bouillon cube, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Let salsa roja cool for 10 minutes.
2. Fill a blender halfway with the salsa roja. Cover and hold the lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a bowl. Repeat with remaining salsa roja. Return to the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely, about 1 hour, and refrigerate.
3. Place cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add 4 cups boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well. Mix in vinegar, scallions, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Chill curtido until serving.
4. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until almost fully cooked and not yet crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer bacon and grease (if desired) to a food processor. Add tomatoes, quartered green bell pepper, Monterey Jack cheese, and minced garlic. Puree and season the chicharron with salt.
5. Mix masa harina and 1/2 cup water together in a bowl by hand. Add the remaining water slowly, about 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition, until dough is moist but still firm. Cover with a wet towel.
6. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Take a golf ball-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball in your hands. Make a hole in the dough ball with your thumb; put a small amount of chicharron inside the hole, close it up, and flatten the ball with your hands into a thick tortilla shape. Place pupusa in the skillet and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining dough and chicharron.
8. Serve each pupusa topped with 2 tablespoons of curtido and 1 tablespoon of salsa roja.

Nutrition

(*Nutrition data is approximate and may vary depending on the brand and type of ingredients used.)

• kcal: 234
• fat: 8 g
• sats: 3 g
• carbs: 34 g
• fibre: 8 g
• protein: 10 g
• salt: 0 g