This was a very fun and very delicious recipe. Plus- these refried beans are the bomb. I modified this Bon Appetit recipe a little bit- the video in the recipe is very helpful if you are making these for the first time

Pupusas are Salvadorean treats- made from the same masa as tortillas- they are the Salvadorean equivalents of the Indian Kachori- in fact, the refried beans will taste great as a filling for a kachori or a parantha (note to self)

Step1: Make refried beans. Heat 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add quarters of 1 onion wiht the petals all seperated- char them well at screaming high heat so that almost all the onion petals have some black char on them. Blend the onions and 1 can of pinto beans (14 oz) well.  Add 1 tbsp of cumin seeds to the oil and ad the bean mixture back to pan and stir for 10-15 minutes till thickned – cool and then add 1 cup of grated whole milk low moisture mozarella.

Step 2: Make masa: In a stand mixer, mix 3 cups of masa harina (I used the Bob’s Red mill one) with 2 3/4 cup scalding hot water and 2 tsp kosher salt. Be careful with the speed, the water will splash. Make sure all the masa is hydrated and then rest for 20 minutes or so. Divide into 12 portions and cover with a damp towel

Step 3: Make pupusa: Keep a little oil to lubricate your hands, take some masa- flatten it, add 1-2 tbsp of filling, cover the filling, flatten the pupusas. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Step 4: Cook pupusas: On a very hot pan, cook on either side till browned (takes about 3-4 minutes per side)

Step 5: Serve with salsa (store bought in my case) and coleslaw (my old tried and true recipe is 1/2 cup yogurt and 2-3 tbsp of hot mufaletta pickle- mix and add cabbage- this doesn’t in any way resemble the traditional curdito or any real coleslaw recipe, but it is creamy and tangy and delicious)