Stuffed Corn Griddle Cakes with Refried Beans, Cheese and Cabbage Relish
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats, America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
These corn masa cakes hide a creamy mashed pinto bean and melted cheese filling, griddled until crisp and spotted brown. They're served warm with a quick tangy cabbage relish and a simple tomato salsa for balance.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
Unlock all flavours with Premium
This flavour is part of Premium. You can see the ingredients and nutrition; the quantities and the full method are for members.
Premium: $4.99/month or $39.99/year.
Equipment
- 3 medium bowls
- blender
- small saucepan
- baking tray lined with baking paper
- clean damp tea towel
- large heavy frying pan or griddle, preferably cast iron
- fish slice (spatula)
- kitchen paper
- potato masher or fork
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 555 kcal |
| Protein | 20.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 72 g |
| of which sugars | 7.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 22.3 g |
| of which saturates | 7.4 g |
| Fibre | 12.1 g |
| Salt | 2.53 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Dough
- 240 g masa harina (corn flour for tortillas)
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
- 450 ml boiling water, plus extra warm water as needed
- 1 tsp neutral oil, plus extra for the pan
Bean and cheese filling
- 400 g can pinto beans, drained and rinsed about 240 g drained
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp water
- 160 g low-moisture mozzarella, grated (check the rennet)
Curtido (cabbage relish)
- 300 g white cabbage, very finely shredded
- 1 carrot, coarsely grated about 80 g
- ½ small onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 80 ml cider vinegar
- 80 ml water
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
Tomato salsa
- 400 g can chopped tomatoes
- ½ onion, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ jalapeño, seeded (optional)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
- 1
Make the curtido. Combine the cabbage, carrot, onion, oregano, vinegar, water and the 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl, pressing down on the cabbage so it bruises and starts to release liquid. Set aside for at least 30 minutes, giving it an occasional stir, so it has time to soften and pick up the sharp, tangy flavour of the vinegar. Make this first, since curtido only improves the longer it sits while you prepare everything else.
- 2
Simmer the tomato salsa. Blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic and jalapeño to a smooth purée. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, pour in the purée (it will spit, so stand back a little) and stir in the 1/4 tsp salt, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly. Simmering briefly mellows the sharpness of the raw tomato and tightens the sauce so it clings rather than running off the pupusas.
- 3
Cook the bean filling. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and cumin and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant; this short toast in hot oil wakes up the spice's flavour before the beans go in. Add the beans and water and mash everything well with a potato masher, cooking for 4-5 minutes until you have a thick paste that holds its shape on a spoon rather than slumping. Spread the mash out on a plate and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then mix in the mozzarella and divide into 8 balls of about 50g each. Wipe out the pan ready for cooking the pupusas later.
- 4
Mix and rest the dough. Stir the masa harina and 1/4 tsp salt together, then add the boiling water and 1 tsp oil and mix with a spatula to a soft dough. Cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes so the corn flour hydrates fully and the dough firms up enough to handle. Knead briefly for 15-20 seconds, then flatten a small piece to test it: if the edges crack more than a few millimetres, work in warm water a teaspoon at a time until it feels soft and slightly tacky, like play dough. Divide into 8 balls of about 85g each and keep them under a damp tea towel so they don't dry out while you shape the rest.
- 5
Fill and shape the pupusas. Using moistened hands, push your thumb firmly into a dough ball to form a deep hollow, then shape the sides into a small corn-dough bowl with walls roughly 6mm thick. Drop in a portion of the bean and cheese filling, pull the dough up over it and pinch firmly to seal, then roll gently back into a ball. Pat it out between your palms into a disc about 10cm wide and 1.5cm thick, smoothing any cracks with a wet finger so the filling stays sealed in as it heats through. Place it on the lined tray under the damp towel and repeat with the rest.
- 6
Griddle until golden. Place the heavy frying pan over medium heat and lightly rub the surface with a touch of oil before the pupusas go on. Working in batches so the pan isn't crowded, cook the pupusas for about 4 minutes per side, until they're browned in spots, crisp at the edges and the cheese inside has melted through. Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve hot, with the curtido and tomato salsa on the side, while the cheese is still soft.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked pupusas within 1 hour and use within 3 days; reheat in a dry pan over medium-low heat until piping hot (74°C) throughout. The curtido keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week in a covered container. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
