Arepas with cheese

There are many different versions of this South American dish, and each country will do it slightly differently. The word 'Arepa' stems from the indigenous peoples term for maize, 'arepa'. Obviously they are gluten-free.

Course: Main Course, Side course, Snack, Starter

Cuisine: Colombian, South America, Venezuelan

Keyword: Arepas, Corn recipes, Gluten-free, Maize recipes

Servings: 5

Ingredients

300 g masa arepa
450 ml water
1 tsp salt
1 ear or small tin of fresh sweet corn
butter/veg oil for frying
200 g Wensleydale cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

Mix the masa arepa, the water and salt together in a bowl. Leave to stand for 10 minutes or so.
Form balls then flatten them into burger sized patties.
Add the sweet corn. If using fresh, cut the sides away from the cob and add to the mixture. If using tinned, drain and add to the arepa mixture.
Heat up a cast iron/ flat frying pan/crepe maker on the stove until hot.
Add oil/butter to the pan and fry the arepas for 2 or 3 minutes on each side to seal them.
Lower the heat, add a lid and let them cook/steam inside for 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove and top with cheese. Serve with chilli sauce if desired.