“I love to cook for Shabbat dinners and Jewish holiday celebrations with my family.”

— Nylka Cohen
Head of Yachad, the Venezuelan Jewish community’s welfare program

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Ingredients

  1. 2 cups pre-cooked cornmeal (masarepa)
  2. 4 cups warm water
  3. 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  4. A pinch of sal

Instructions

  1. Mix the water and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Add the flour and start mixing the ingredients together with the help of a fork or spoon. Knead from the outside in, so that the flour completely absorbs the water, giving you a uniform dough. The dough is at its best when it doesn’t stick to your hands. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
  3. Make balls of dough the size of meatballs and then flatten them into a circle about ½–inch thick (1.5 cm).
  4. To make arepas, either bake or fry them. If frying, fry in oil for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown. If baking, first cook the arepas on a griddle for 7 min. on each side; then bake at 350-degrees until the outside is crunchy. If you don’t have a griddle, use a skillet or cast-iron frying pan.
  5. Fill your arepas with cheese, ground beef, chicken, or whatever you want!