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Venezuelan Stuffed Cornmeal Balls | mommyshomecooking.com
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Venezuelan Bollos Pelones

This authentic and delicious Venezuelan dish takes comfort food to a whole new level!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Venezuelan
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 14 servings
Calories 301kcal

Ingredients

Stuffing:

  • 2 tablespoons of corn oil
  • 1 cup of onion, finely chopped
  • 3 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup of green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup of leeks, sliced (white and pale-green parts only)
  • 1/4 cup of scallions, sliced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons sweet red wine (I used Marsala)
  • 23 -25 green olives stuffed with red pepper, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons of capers, drained

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons of corn oil
  • 2 cups of onion, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Dough:

  • 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth, warm
  • 3 cups Harina PAN
  • 2 tablespoons of corn oil
  • 8 oz of queso fresco or queso para rallar, crumble (opcional),

Instructions

Prepare the filling:

  • Heat the oil In a medium saucepan over medium-high. Saute the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, pepper, leeks, and scallions; cook 5 minutes. Stir in ground beef. Using a wooden spoon break the meat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until it’s no pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, wine, olives, and capers; mix well until everything is well combined. Adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the sauce:

  • In a small saucepan add the corn oil. Saute onion until transparent; about 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the dough:

  • Mix chicken broth and Harina PAN until has no lumps. Let stand for 5 minutes then add the corn oil and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 14 equal-size balls. Set aside.

Assemble:

  • Take a ball of dough and make a hole in the center with your finger, big enough to place the filling. Add 1-2 teaspoons of the filling. Close bringing the edges together carefully with your fingers. Re-form into a ball again. Repeat until all the dough is finish.
    Venezuelan Stuffed Cornmeal Dumplings step by step | mommyshomecooking.com

Cook:

  • Fill a large pot halfway with water. Bring it to boil over medium heat high heat. At first boil reduce the heat to low. Place the stuffed dumplings in the hot water and cook about ten minutes. You’ll know when they ready because they’ll float. With a slotted spoon transfer them to a serving dish.
    Venezuelan Stuffed Cornmeal Balls | mommyshomecooking.com
  • Top with tomato sauce and fresh cheese (queso fresco), if desired, and serve immediately.

Notes

You can make the stuffing and the sauce the day before.
The stuffing should not be too juicy because it could soften too much the dough and could fall apart when cooking.
If you want you can substitute beef for ground chicken or turkey for a lighter version.

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 261IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg