ALMOJABANA COLOMBIANA ( COLOMBIAN CHEESE BUNS)

ALMOJABANA COLOMBIANA ( COLOMBIAN CHEESE BUNS)

Flour or starch roll made from a rich cheesy dough. There is no unified recipe across the length and breadth of the country, but some versions are well known such "almojaba valluna", "almojabana costeña" "almojabana Boyasence".

Almojabanas have a common point, "cheese" and clear distinctions ,  almojabana costeña has a sweet and salty taste from costeño cheese and sugar mix  ,It is made from corn only , almojabana valluna is made from a mix  of corn starch and/or cassava starch and/or wheat flour and cuajada while almojabana boyasence is made   corn starch or wheat flour and  paipa / campesino cheese.


If I have to choose one among the Colombian almojabanas, I blend to almojábana Costeña it is my favorite but I love all almojabanas.


The word almojabana is the castellanización of the Arabic word المُجَابَنَة (al muyaabana) the word seems not  exist in standard Arabic but by according classical Arabic morphology can be categorized within صِيغَةُ المُبالَغَةُ (sifatul mubaalaga) exaggerative name used to give meaning that something or someone makes or owns a characteristic In great abundance then almuyaabana would mean THE MOST CHEESY.

The name and recipe are a Spanish preparation that dates back to the age Media curiously the European recipe is eggy, does not include cheese and looks nothing like the Colombian almojabana instead strongly resembles choux pastry bathe with honey, sprinkled with cinnamon and pepper.

Puerto rico  has  almojabanas as a traditional dish , it is made from rice flour and cheese ,  Venezuela has  almojabana andina  made with smoked andinan cheese , Venezulan almojabana looks like colombian pan de yuca .

For preparing  Colombian almojabanas the common flour/starch and cheese proportions are 100% cheese and   50% flour/starch or 100%cheese and  100% flour.


INGREDIENTS

RECIPE 1 

-250 gr cow feta cheese
-20 gr precooked yellow corn flour
-20 gr butter
-105 gr corn starch
-5 gr baking powder
-25 gr egg
-35 gr sugar
-50 ml milk or water

RECIPE 2

 -250 gr mozzarella cheese
-40 gr precooked yellow corn flour
-85 gr corn starch
-5 gr baking powder
-25 gr egg
-35 gr sugar
-60 ml milk or water

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INSTRUCCIONS:

RECIPE 1

1.Crumble the feta cheese add sugar, butter, and  egg.
2.Stir together the dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
3.Add the flour mixture to the cheese, egg and sugar mix.
4. Knead, add milk by bit by bit until smooth, make spheres of the desired size.
5.Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake alternating  grill for first 5 minutes and normal baking for 7 remaining minutes of cooking.

RECIPE 2
1.Stir together the dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
2.In blender or food processor add the dry ingredients mix and grated cheese blend until completely cheese is pulverized.
4. Add the egg knead and add milk by bit by bit until smooth, make spheres of the desired size.
5.Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake alternating grill for first 5 minutes and normal baking for 7 remaining minutes of cooking.