Pupusas - Salsa Roja - Quesadilla Salvadaoreña

Ricetta in italiano qui

Welcome to El Salvador, 2nd stop for Joan's new Culinary Tour Around the World.

A few info about:

- El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, but the one with the highest population density.
- Population is estimated close to seven million.
- High birth rate of 26.1%.
- Illiteracy at 21.3% and infant mortality up to 23%: both these data are improving greatly, but still dramatic, many advances are to be done yet to teach literacy and to improve the difficult health situation.
- Salvadoran people are very young, over 35% less than 15 years old.
- Territorial distribution is homogeneous and sees a higher concentration in the capital and its surroundings.
- Official language is Spanish.

Pupusas

Pupusas are very popular in El Salvador, a sort of hand made flat bread.
They may be stuffed with different ingredients: chicken or turkey or ground beef, cheese, sauteed green peppers, squash or beans.
The pupusa is so fundamental to the cuisine of El Salvador that the country has even declared November 13th "National Pupusa Day".
Pupusas are traditionally made by slapping the dough from palm to palm to flatten it out ... but rolling pin is allowed!
They have been very appreciated last night, no one was left for dinner, they were gone as appetizer! And my husband said "... interesting product ..."!

You need:

100 gr sliced bacon
half onion, chopped
half teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
3 cups of flour
1 ½ cup water
half teaspoon salt

- Fry bacon, onion and cumin in oil until onion is translucent.
- Mix the flour and water together in a soft dough by hand or with a mixer.
- Divide the dough into 10 equal balls.
- Roll out each ball into a disk about 1 cm. thick and pour about 1 tablespoon of bacon, fold in half to cover the filling.
- Roll again to form a disk about 15cm diameter. If a little filling comes out, do not worry, it's normal.
- Heat a pan over medium high fire. Grease the pan with a little oil and cook each pupusa until it is lightly golden on both sides. Grease the pan again for another pupusa.
- Bake in oven at 180° for a few minutes to finish cooking.

Salsa Roja

A tasteful and hot cooked tomato sauce, often served alongside pupusas.
But I bet it could be excellent for a very Italian pasta!

You need:

3 tablespoons extravirgin olive ol
half onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 serrano or jalapeño chile pepper, chopped
2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
(I used a big jar of my home-made canned tomatoes)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt/pepper
cilantro (optional), chopped

- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium flame and then add onion, garlic and chile and fry for a few minutes, until onion is translucent
- Add tomatoes and oregano and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool a bit.
- Pour tomato sauce in a blender and mix until smooth, adding a little water if needed.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, chopped cilantro and serve.

Quesadilla Salvadaoreña

Unlike the Mexican snack with the same name, Salvadoran quesadilla is a rich, sweet dessert cake often found in local panaderías, or bakeries. The queso in quesadilla is traditionally unsalted Salvadoran queso fresco, a fresh farmers-type cheese. But parmesan cheese is often substituted.
We liked it very much, I think I will try again and pay more attention in baking.
Sorry for the pictures in artificial light, it was late when it came out from the oven and sunlight was gone! But i swear, it's delicious!

You need:

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream,
100 gr grated Parmesan
3 eggs
120 gr butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
sesame seeds


- Mix butter with sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Sift flour and baking powder and add to the mixture a bit at a time.
- Add sour cream, Parmesan and mix well.
- Grease a baking dish with butter, pour the mixture and garnish with sesame seeds.
-Bake at 180° for 25/30 minutes (but pay attention, mine got too much golden quite immediately and I had to cover with alluminium foil whikle baking and had to cut off dark edges then) or until a toothpick into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.

El Salvador Round up

See you next week in Nicaragua!