Tuna Dip with Fried Mini Arepas

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 0.33 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lata sweet corn (drained)
• 3 lata canned tuna (drained)
• cilantro (fresh, chopped to taste)
• 0.5 red onion (finely chopped)
• chives (chopped to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 2 cup precooked cornmeal (P.A.N. cornmeal type)
• 2 cup water (lukewarm)
• salt (a pinch for the dough)
• vegetable oil (enough for frying)

Steps

1. 1

   In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth and homogeneous.

2. 2

   Add the 3 cans of previously drained tuna and the sweet corn to the cream mixture.

3. 3

   Stir in the chopped red onion, cilantro, chives, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and refrigerate until serving.

4. 4

   For the arepas, place the 2 cups of water in a large bowl and add a pinch of salt.

5. 5

   Gradually add the cornmeal to the water, kneading with your hands until you get a smooth, firm dough without lumps. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Shape small balls of dough and flatten them gently to create mini arepas approximately 4-5 cm in diameter.

7. 7

   Heat plenty of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

8. 8

   Fry the mini arepas in the hot oil, turning them occasionally, until they are golden and crispy on both sides.

9. 9

   Remove the arepas from the oil and drain them on paper towels. Serve warm accompanied by the cold tuna dip.

Notes

For a lighter dip, you can substitute part of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt. Make sure the oil is very hot before frying so the arepas don't absorb too much fat.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• snack
• venezuelan
• fried
• tuna
• party
• easy