Domino Arepas with Black Beans

Versión en español

Living in Houston has allowed me to make friends from many countries, and recently we have met several Venezuelans. I love their food, especially the arepas. What a delicious thing to eat, a simple arepa with butter, or if it’s lunch or dinner time, these Domino Arepas with black beans and fresh cheese are amazing.

Something we always do with my Latin friends is to compare the names of things, and we all try to learn the idioms of others to make jokes and understand each other well. Beans in Venezuela have a name I had never heard before: Caraotas. It’s such a different word. Most of the words we use in Latin America come from the Spanish that the invaders brought. But many other words come from our native peoples. In Chile, we have words derived from the Mapuche and the Inca. In Mexico of, the Mayas, Aztecs, Toltecs, and so on. So if you travel within Latin America, you cannot assume that words will be the same.

Practice helps a lot with arepas, so do not be disappointed if they are not perfect the first time. To fill them I made a Venezuelan-style Black Beans stew; my friends from Caracas say they enjoy them like this. A unique twist in this stew is adding brown sugar or Panela to the beans, giving them a pleasant sweetness. And with the Queso Fresco, you get the traditional black-and-white domino effect. Last year at a party at home, we set up an arepa bar with three fillings to choose from. It was an excellent solution, and people loved it.

Arepas are naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. I hope you will try them.

You may also be interested in the recipe: Zucchini Arepas.

Domino Arepas with Black Beans

★★★★★

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Flexible and so delicious

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 10 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Arepas,

• 2 cups arepa flour (example P.A.N.)
• 2 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil

For the black bean stew,

• 1 medium onion, chopped into small cubes
• 2 cans of BUSH’S Black Beans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup grated Panela or brown sugar

To serve,

• 10 arepas
• Venezuelan style black beans
• 1 Queso Fresco shredded

Instructions

For the Arepas,

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
In a jar, place the warm water and dissolve the sugar and salt. In a bowl, place the flour and oil, add the water, stirring with a fork. Let stand 1 minute.
Using your hand or a wooden spoon, stir well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Knead until the dough does not stick to the bowl, add flour or water until the consistency is adequate, and the dough does not stick to the hands. Divide the dough into ten equal portions (85 grams or 3 ounces each). With damp hands, form balls and flatten using the palm of your hand.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, brush with oil. Cook the arepas for 3 minutes per side and place them on a baking sheet. Finish cooking in the oven for 15 minutes.

For the black bean stew,

In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring for 8-10 minutes until golden. Add the canned beans (without draining), stir, add the salt, cumin, and panela. Stir well until all is hot and incorporated. Try and adjust the seasoning.

To serve,

Open the arepas and fill with the beans and the fresh cheese. Serve right away.

 

 

Notes

The recipe Domino Arepas with Black Beans was a sponsored conversation written by me on BUSH’S Beans. The opinions and text are all mine.

• Author: Pilar Hernandez
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Sandwiches
• Method: Stove-cooked
• Cuisine: Venezuelan

Keywords: Domino Arepas