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Vegetarian, Americas

Cheese pupusas with curtido

Cheese pupusas with curtido are thick corn cakes stuffed with melty cheese, a Salvadoran specialty, served with tangy pickled cabbage and a tomato sauce. This recipe serves 4, takes 55 minutes, rates medium difficulty, and costs about €1.90 per person. Success comes down to shaping the cakes with oiled hands and cooking them slowly so the cheese melts fully without tearing the dough.

Tonight we're headed to El Salvador with pupusas, thick corn cakes stuffed with melty cheese, served with a crunchy curtido.

Cheese pupusas with curtido
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.90
Calories per person
610 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Under a lightly toasted corn crust, the cheese spills out warm and melty at first bite. Masa harina dough is dense and chewy, nothing like a wheat tortilla, and it picks up a toasted corn flavor as it cooks dry in the pan. The curtido brings exactly the right contrast, tangy and crunchy, cutting through the richness of the melted cheese.

This is a dinner for a night when you want to cook with your hands and break from the usual routine. Kids love shaping the cakes and watching the cheese stretch when you cut in, which turns it into a family activity as much as a meal. Set aside a bit of time between letting the curtido marinate and shaping the pupusas, though none of the steps are tricky.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Masa harina (precooked corn flour) 400 g
  • Warm water 55 cl
  • Canned red beansoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Apple cider vinegaroften in the pantry 8 cl
  • Oreganooften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Mozzarella or raclette cheese 250 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • White cabbage 0.3
  • Carrot 1
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 1 cloves

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Thinly slice the cabbage, grate the carrot, add the sliced onion, vinegar, oregano, and salt, then let it marinate.

    Make the curtido first, it tastes better after thirty minutes of resting.

  2. Simmer the tomatoes with chopped garlic, salt, and pepper, then blend into a smooth sauce. 12 min

    Five minutes in the blender gives you the smooth sauce you find in Salvadoran pupuserías.

  3. Mix the masa harina with warm water and a pinch of salt into a soft dough, then mash the beans with the diced cheese.

    If the dough cracks, add a spoonful of water, if it sticks, add a spoonful of flour.

  4. Shape the dough into balls, hollow them out, fill with the mixture, seal, and flatten into thick cakes.

    Flatten from the center outward without piercing the cake, so the cheese stays trapped inside.

  5. Cook the pupusas dry or with a touch of oil, four minutes per side, and serve with curtido and the tomato sauce. 12 min

    It's normal for some cheese to leak out, it caramelizes and turns crispy.

Our tips to get it right

  • Weigh the water and masa harina instead of eyeballing it, brands absorb liquid differently and the dough texture changes fast.
  • Let the dough rest five minutes before shaping the cakes, it becomes easier to work with and cracks less.
  • Cook the pupusas over medium heat rather than high, the center needs time for the cheese to melt before the outside burns.

The variations

  • Swap the cheese for mashed red beans only to make a dairy free version that's just as soft inside.
  • Add cooked, drained spinach to the filling for a greener version that kids still enjoy for the stretchy cheese.
  • For a quick version, swap the marinated curtido for a ready made coleslaw, and dinner comes together in thirty minutes.

What to serve it with

  • Cold curtido on the side
  • Homemade tomato sauce, optional
  • Fresh lemonade or citrus juice

Storage

Cooked pupusas keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container and reheat best in a skillet over low heat to keep the cheese melty. Curtido keeps for 3 days in the fridge and actually tastes better the next day. Raw dough doesn't freeze well, it's better to cook the pupusas first and freeze them already shaped.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace masa harina with wheat flour?

No, masa harina gives the dough its signature texture and holds together during cooking. Regular wheat flour won't behave the same way and the cakes would likely tear while cooking.

How do you keep the cheese from leaking out while cooking?

Seal the dough well around the filling before flattening, and press from the center outward without piercing the cake. Some cheese escaping is normal and turns crispy and golden.

Can you make the curtido ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended, it tastes better after a night in the fridge. Make it the day before for a faster dinner.

Do kids really enjoy pupusas?

Yes, the melty, stretchy cheese almost always wins kids over, and shaping the cakes by hand turns into a fun activity to share while cooking together.

How long does it take to make cheese pupusas with curtido?

Count 55 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in cheese pupusas with curtido?

About 610 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does cheese pupusas with curtido cost?

About €1.90 per serving, or €7.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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