July 19, 2019

Kabocha Squash and Cheese Vegan Pupusas

There is something so comforting about pupusas- those little cornflour circles enclosing a delicious filling, warm and crispy. You can put pretty much anything in the filling of a pupusa, but this recipe is for kabocha squash and cheese vegan pupusas. Sweet, creamy, melty, and cheesy, it’s a combination you’ll dream about long after your pupusas are eaten. These pupusas are served with a simple slaw on top, called curtido that contains cabbage, carrots, onions, spices, and vinegar. The acidity of the slaw is the perfect contrast to the cheesy and creamy pupusas- it’s a match made in heaven, and how pupusas are traditionally served. While pupusas do require a little hands on attention, once you get the hang of making them you’ll be surprised how quickly they come together. So get out your masa harina, oil up your hands, and let’s get started!

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What are Pupusas?

Pupusas are a cornmeal flatbread, traditional in El Salvador. They are generally stuffed (most commonly in the United States with cheese) and served with a spicy cabbage slaw called curtido. The dish is also popular in Honduras, where it might have originated. Pupusas are similar to arepas, a Venezuelan treat where corn flatbreads are cooked, cut open and stuffed. To make pupusas look for masa harina in your local grocery store- Bob’s Redmill makes some– rather than cornmeal. Cornmeal is just what it sounds like- dried corn that’s been milled into flour. Masa harina, on the other hand, is hominy that has been treated with limewater or another alkaline agent to remove the hulls, which is what gives the “corn” flavor of tortillas and other Central and South American corn products. If you try using cornmeal instead of masa harina, you will end up with something that tastes more like cornbread than vegan pupusas- probably still delicious, but not the result you were hoping for!

How to Shape Pupusas

I first approached shaping pupusas similarly to how I would fold dumpings- but it’s not really the same. Notice I even used a different verb- fold vs. shape. With dumplings and perogies and the like, you stretch a thin sheet of dough around fillings, trying not to tear it. With pupusas, we are shaping not folding. Think of it like molding clay- it can stretch, move, fold, break, repair- it’s malleable and forgiving. To shape the vegan pupusas, first take a chunk a little bigger than a golf ball and roll it into a neat sphere. Use your thumb or fingers on one hand and the palm of your other hand to flatten it into a thin disk, at least as big as the palm of your hand. Place the filling in the center, and push up the sides. Don’t be too delicate here- just push the sides up to meet at the top, and repair any cracks as needed. Roll it so it’s shaped into a neat sphere again, and then flatten it between the palms of your hands, again repairing cracks as they come by simply smoothing them with your thumb.

What Is Kabocha Squash

Kabocha squash is a Japanese variety of winter squash. It has a dark green exterior covered with white spots or stripes and a knobbly, textured surface and a dark orange flesh. The flesh is sweet and creamy, with a texture that never fails to remind me of the hard boiled yolk of an egg (I’ve actually made a vegan egg using kabocha squash as the yolk, and it’s delicious). In Japanese, the word kabocha refers to this squash, but also to many other squashes and pumpkins. It’s probably my favorite variety of winter squash, so if you’re new to it I highly recommend trying one out. You can also try this recipe for a kabocha squash soup!

Looking for Squash Recipes? Try one of these!

Making Vegan Pupusas

While vegan pupusas might seem intimidating, once you’ve gotten the hang of it it’s not as hard as it looks! Start by making your curtido- chop and grate all the veggies, and pour boiling water over them to cook and soften them a little. Wait a couple minutes, and then drain. Add the spices, salt, sugar, and vinegar, and toss to coat all of the vegetables. Stick it in the fridge, and it will be ready to eat by the time your pupusas are. Before you make your pupusas, remove the center seeds and cook the squash- I did this in the microwave as it is a lot quicker, but you could also roast it if you prefer. Mash it a little with a fork, and you’re good to go. To make your vegan pupusa batter, whisk the salt and masa harina together, then add warm water until you have a smooth and consistent dough. Oil your hands at this point, or the dough will end up sticking to your fingers and ruining your pupusa shaping skills. See the instructions above for shaping the vegan pupusas. Once all of the pupusas are shaped, it’s time go cook them! I did mine in some olive oil for a crispy outside, but they can also be cooked with no oil. Heat a large skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Top with the curtido in the fridge, and eat them warm for best ooey-gooey vegan goodness.

Kabocha Squash and Cheese Vegan Pupusas

Yield: About 12 Pupusas

Kabocha Squash and Cheese Vegan Pupusas

Ingredients

For the Curtido (cabbage slaw)

¼ head of cabbage
2 medium-sized carrots
½ medium-sized onion
¼ cup white or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. chili powder

For the pupusas

2 cups masa harina
1 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 kabocha squash
1/4-1/2 cup vegan cheese, optional
Olive oil for cooking and hands

Instructions

Thinly slice the cabbage and onion and set in a heat-proof bowl. Grate the carrots and add to the bowl. Bring a kettle of water to the boil, and pour over the veggies until they are submerged. Let sit for about 10 minutes and then drain. Add all the other ingredients for the curtido to the bowl, mix well, and place covered in the fridge.
Cook the kabocha squash by removing the seeds, and microwaving for 5-8 minutes until soft (you can also roast it, but the microwave is a quicker method). Once the squash is soft enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the peel and place in a small bowl. Mash with a fork to soften, and set aside.
Add the masa harina and salt to a large bowl and whisk together. Next add warm water, starting with about 1½ cups, and use your hands to combine. Add a little more water as needed, until you have a somewhat firm, pliable dough.
Lightly oil your hands with olive oil to stop the dough from sticking to your hands (and continue to do so as needed when shaping pupusas). Take a ball of the dough a little bigger than a golf ball and roll until smooth. Use your thumb to push down, gently forming a disk in the palm of your hand so that it becomes about 3-4 inches in diameter. Place a pinch of vegan cheese (optional, but delicious) and a heaping teaspoon of squash in the center of that disk, and squish the sides up to close it back into a sphere. Roll it into a neat ball, and then gently push it flat so it’s about ½ inch thick, smoothing the cracks that form as you flatten it. Place on a baking tray lined with wax paper or a silicone mat, and repeat until all the dough is used up (makes about 12 pupusas).
Heat a small amount of oil on medium in a large skillet, and add the pupusas, working in batches if needed. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, and remove from the heat. Serve warm topped with the curtido.

https://veryveganval.com/2019/07/19/kabocha-squash-and-cheese-vegan-pupusas/

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