Salvadoran FoodSalvadoran corn and black bean patties with hard cheese, radish slaw, and roasted green chile sauce
Golden, crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside patties made with corn dough and mashed black beans, mixed with grated hard cheese. They are served with a fresh radish and cabbage slaw and a homemade roasted green chile and tomato sauce for a distinctly Salvadoran flavor.
Ingredients
- 300 g fresh corn masa (for the tortas)
- 240 g cooked black beans (escurridos and lightly machacados)
- 80 g grated hard Salvadoran cheese (or queso dry firme)
- 70 g white onion (finely chopped; mitad for the dough and mitad for the sauce)
- 6 g garlic (chopped)
- 12 g culantro or fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 1 g ground cumin (for the dough)
- 6 g salt (divided entre tortas, curtido and sauce)
- 1 g black pepper (freshly ground)
- 45 ml vegetable oil (divided for cocinar)
- 120 g radishes (sliced finas)
- 120 g white cabbage (finely grated)
- 30 ml white vinegar (for the curtido)
- 1 g dried oregano (for the curtido)
- 300 g ripe tomatoes (cut a the mitad)
- 90 g green chiles (tipo jalapeño suave or chile verde local, without semillas if desired menos picante)
- 120 ml water (for ajustar the sauce)
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
Instructions
- 1
1. Preheat a griddle, heavy skillet, or flat pan over medium-high heat. If you prefer to roast the sauce ingredients in the oven, preheat it to 425°F / 220°C.
- 2
2. Make the slaw: in a bowl, combine the white cabbage, radishes, white vinegar, 2 g (about 1/3 tsp) salt, and dried oregano. Lightly massage with clean hands and let it rest for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest.
- 3
3. Roast the tomatoes, green chiles, and half of the white onion on the griddle or in the oven at 425°F / 220°C until deeply blistered and lightly charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn as needed for even roasting.
- 4
4. Transfer the roasted tomatoes, roasted green chiles, roasted onion, garlic, 60 ml (1/4 cup) water, and 2 g (about 1/3 tsp) salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until you get a semi-smooth sauce. If it is too thick, add the remaining water little by little. Set aside.
- 5
5. In a large bowl, combine the fresh corn masa, mashed black beans, grated hard cheese, the remaining chopped white onion, culantro or cilantro, ground cumin, black pepper, and 2 g (about 1/3 tsp) salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- 6
6. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into medium patties about 1.5 cm / 1/2 in thick. If the mixture sticks, lightly dampen your hands with water.
- 7
7. Heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, about 350°F / 175°C at the cooking surface. Cook the patties in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden, firm, and heated through in the center. Add the remaining oil between batches if needed.
- 8
8. While the patties cook, warm the roasted green chile sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, without boiling it too vigorously.
- 9
9. Lightly drain the slaw if it has released too much liquid. Serve 2 patties per plate with a generous spoonful of roasted green chile sauce on top or on the side, and finish with the fresh radish and cabbage slaw.
- 10
10. If desired, let the patties rest for 2 minutes before serving so they hold their shape better and stay soft inside.
Chef tips
For a firmer texture, let the masa and bean mixture rest for 10 minutes before shaping the patties. For deeper color and flavor, roast the chiles until the skin has dark spots, but do not burn them completely.
Substitutions
You can use cooked red beans instead of black beans. If you cannot find Salvadoran hard cheese, use firm cotija or a similar dry cheese. Culantro can be replaced with fresh cilantro.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageNinja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageTempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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