Colombian Arepa de Chocolo or Sweet Corn Arepas
If I told you how many times I had to make this recipe so that it would turn out OK, you would make fun of me and would ask why I tried to make it so many times. There were many attemps and almost all had horrible results since the starch content that sweet corn has in Colombia is way higher than the one you find in other countries. The same goes for potatoes and that’s why soups don’t thicken as well as the ones you make in Colombia. So, if you’re frustrated becasue the ajiaco you make at home does not thicken well enough, it’s not because you’re a bad cook, it’s because the potatoes don’t have enough starch.
The first few times I made these arepas I followed several Colombian recipes that I found on the Internet, but I only ended up with a horrible, thick batter in the pan because they never bound, meaning, they never thickened up. The same thing happened with the recipes I found in two Colombian cookbooks and with the ones I found on YouTube. I remember well that my mom suggested I add pre-cooked cornmeal, but I didn’t want to do it because that’s not how you make them in Colombia. I wish I had listened to her because I would have saved myself a whole lot of headaches.
When I finally decided to follow her advice, the question now was, how much cornmeal to use? Because we don’t want them to have the same flavor as the regular corn arepas, but at the same time, we want them to be firm and not lose their shape while cooking. After I tried many times, I finally got the gist of it and the result is the recipe I am sharing with you today. The texture is very similar to the arepas that people make in Colombia and the flavor is identical. I would’ve loved to be able to make them with just the sweet corn and without having to add the pre-cooked cornmeal, but what can you do? Outside of Colombia is practically impossible.
¡Buen provecho!
Sweet Corn Arepas
Ingredients
- 1½ cup 319 g sweet corn kernels
- 1 cup 150 g pre-cooked cornmeal
- 3 tbsp sugar (brown or white)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup 100 g shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
- 1½ - 2 cups 360 - 480 ml milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- Butter (to grill the arepas)
- Mozzarella slices (optional)
Instructions
- Blend the corn in a blender or food processor until you get a puree. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the pre-cooked cornmeal, sugar, salt, mozzarella cheese, milk, the blended corn and melted butter. Start with 1½ cup of milk and then add more if you see that the batter is too thick.
- Melt 1-2 tsp of butter in a large pan on medium heat and then pour about ¼-½ cup of the corn batter, depending on how big you want the arepas. Flatten them on top and then shape them into a circle with the help of a spatula. Grill them for 5-7 minutes per side or until they're golden brown. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, you can place 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese on top so that it has time to melt. Serve immediately.
I'm waiting for this yep!!!!
These turned out fantastic! I did use a white firm (frying cheese) instead of mozzarella on top. But yummy is the word. Next time i will be topping them with pork!
I've always loved Arepas de Chocolo and look forward to eating them at festivals. Now, thanks to you, I can make them at home. Today was my first time making them from your recipe and they are delish. My son also ate a whole Arepa 🙂 Thank you, Diana.
I used Trader Joe's frozen sweet corn and that corn was wonderfully sweeeeet!
I can only find cornmeal that hasnt been precooked, so i was wondering will that be okay?
For these arepas it might work because you just need it so it can work as a binder.
If I use fresh corn. Should it be cooked or raw?
No need to pre-cook fresh corn because it will get cooked when you put the arepas on the griddle.
I recommend using Queso Fresco as the cheese. Just to give you a different kind of bite to try out! Love the recipe
Here we are in Southeastern BC self-isolating from the Novel coronavirus crisis. What to do when shut in most of the days? I accidentally bought the PAN pre-cooked white cornmeal, thinking it would work like polenta. That wasn’t the case. Then I searched the PAN site and came upon your recipe. What Luck ! I am making these tomorrow, because I already have something for today, and I am really looking forward to this. I just happened to have all the other ingredients on hand too. Generally my family eats in the Canadian & German direction, but this is different and will broaden our culinary horizons as well as make our isolation more fun. Thank you Sweetysalado.
I did indeed make this toay March 30, and got 8 fairly large arepas from the recipe. I had no mozarella
so I used shredded aged cheddar, both in the dough and on during the last 2 minutes. They were great to eat, just wonderful, as is, with nothing added.
For breakfast I will top the arepas with one over-easy egg, plus some salsa verde, for a great twist on Huevos Rancheros. It’s funny what one stumbles on to in the market. Thanks again.
Kamm in the Kootenays of BC.
Do you have any recommendations on how to make a crispy arepa de chocolo?
They will always be soft in the center and crispy on the outside, but if you add less moisture they will turn out drier or crispier. So you can try by using less corn and more cornmeal to see if that helps.
Can I use the PAN flour thanks !
If you’re referring to the Harina P.A.N., the precooked cornmeal to make arepas, then yes, you can.
My husband ate these as a kid in Colombia, so I felt like the bar was set pretty high, but he LOVED them! Thanks for all your effort putting this recipe together. They were easy to make and delicious 😀
Hi again for some reason i followed your exact measurements and my batter came out runny. If that happens next time what should one do? I’m not sure why it did that, and i went over the ingredients and measurements several times.
You can add more cornmeal and make sure it’s the one we use to make arepas.
When do you add the puréed corn?
In the second step.
How long will this mixture last if I don’t use all of it?
It can dry up very quickly, but you can store it in the fridge for 1-2 days and then add milk to loosen it a bit.
I did the arepa de choclo and came out great. Thank you for the recipe.
When you say 1 tsp salt, is that kosher salt or table salt?
Table salt. Use more if using Kosher.
Hola Sweety,
You do mentioned to use yellow corn Polenta 🌽 if you do not have P.A.M. well… my advice to those using Polenta is that the Polenta needs cooking in water prior to mixing the rest of ingredients . Otherwise the arepas will form in a granulated corn arepa and it will be very hard to digest 🤮🤕 and won’t taste like arepas at all.