Salvadorian Food

Pupusas-Mix the masa harina, cumin, salt and water into a dough which is soft but not sticky. Be prepared to add more flour if necessary. If it is too dry, add more water. To make a 3 inch round papusa, take about half a cup of dough and roll it into a ball. flatten with your hand. Put the filling in the centre [in this case, cheese, cilantro, salt and pepper]. Work the edges up over the filling and again form a ball, completely enclosing the filling. Flatten each ball to about 1/4 inch or less and cook the papusas on a hot, lightly oiled griddle for about 3 minutes per side, or until both sides are lightly browned.

Pastelitos-Heat skillet at med-high, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté onions, garlic,add cilantro until onions are translucent. Dough Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Dust a work surface with flour, turn the dough out on the work surface. Press the dough together into a rough ball. Knead the dough using your palm, as if you were washing clothes on an old washboard. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Form into a ball, cover with a plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll dough out into a rope about 15 inches long. Once rolled out cut off disks about ¾ of an inch think. Dust your rolling pin and workspace and roll out into a ⅛ thin circle. If you have a pasta roller, you can use it to roll out the dough rounds. center. Fold over to make a half-moon. Pinch the dough together using your fingers, then go over it, pressing it with the teeth of a fork. Return to sheet pan and cover. Repeat with remaining rounds and filling. Line a large plate with paper towels. Heat 1½ inches of oil to 350 degrees in a large deep skillet. Working in batches, carefully place turnovers into the oil. They should almost immediately begin to puff and float, cook on each side about 2 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate to drain and let cool.

Pan con Pollo- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Turn off heat and stir in cabbage and carrots; let stand for 2 minutes then drain in a colander. Place shredded cabbage and carrots into a large bowl along with the onion, oregano, and mayonnaise. Mix together until you have a mixture resembling coleslaw. This is the curtido. To prepare sandwiches, lightly spread each roll with mayonnaise and pile with meat. Place a scoop of curtido on top of the chicken, and finish with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, watercress and radishes. all bread is cut in half as pictured above and is put little mayonnaise, some cabbage, tomato, cucumber, radish, then the piece of chicken, watercress and lettuce.

Sopa de Res- Place bones in large stockpot, add water to cover by 6 inches. Bring to boil, reduce heat and boil gently for 45 minutes. Stir in salt, garlic powder. Then add corn, celery and carrots. Boil another 15 minutes. Add potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, cabbage, and bell pepper. Boil for 15 minutes longer. Ladle soup into 6 large bowls. Add 1 cup rice to each bowl. Squeeze juice from a lomon wedge over each bowl. Serve immediately as a main course.