Tortilla

Tortilla

Tortillas are called tortillas typical of Mexican, American and Spanish cuisine. They are especially common in Spain and Mexico, where they belong to the main national dishes. Mexicans wrap various fillings in tortillas, serve them instead of bread, even use them instead of spoons, scooping thick soup or sauce with them. Classic Spanish tortilla is made from potatoes. In Mexico, the classic recipe involves the use of cornmeal as a base. Each of these recipes has several variations. There are also recipes in which wheat flour is taken as a basis.

Cooking Features

Traditionally, tortillas were made from unleavened dough, but today the most popular are flat cakes made from flour or potatoes with the addition of ingredients such as butter, chicken eggs. Today, these recipes are considered classic. Cooking a tortilla for them is so simple that a quick hostess can treat family members with them at least every day. Knowing a few important points will greatly facilitate her work and help to prepare truly delicious tortillas.

  • Even if you, following the tradition, took corn flour as a basis for making tortilla, it would not hurt to add a little wheat flour to it, which will increase the stickiness of the dough and make the tortillas a little more tender.
  • If you didn’t get the butter beforehand and it didn’t soften, you can rub it.
  • Instead of butter, you can use margarine, then the corn tortilla will turn out to be lean and suitable for a vegetarian table.
  • The dough, prepared for the tortillas, after kneading should “rest”, then the tortillas will be more tender.
  • In order to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin when rolling it, it must be placed between two layers of food film sprinkled with flour.
  • You need to fry tortillas in a dry frying pan on both sides. Usually it takes about a minute to fry the tortilla on one side. This time is better not to exceed, otherwise the cakes may come out too dry and brittle.
  • In order for the cakes not to dry, they can be laid with wet wipes.
  • If you are cooking tortillas in order to wrap the stuffing in them later, add red pepper to the dough - these tarts are traditionally made sharp.
  • Ready-made tortillas can be stored in the refrigerator, but they should be heated in a dry frying pan or in a microwave oven before serving - they are usually served warm.

These tips will be useful to you, no matter what recipe for cooking tortilla, classical or adapted, you have chosen.

A classic recipe for Mexican cornmeal tortilla

Composition:

  • corn flour - 0, 4 kg;
  • wheat flour - 100 g;
  • cold water - 0, 25 l;
  • butter - 50 g;
  • salt - 5 g;
  • red pepper - to taste.

Method of preparation:

  • Sift and combine the corn and wheat flour in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to them. The latter can not be added if you are preparing tortillas not for wrapping the fillings in them, but for use instead of bread.
  • Place the softened butter in a plate of flour. Mash it with a fork and mix with flour, as far as you can.
  • Pour 50 ml of water, stir the dough. Continue to pour the water into the flour bowl in small portions, mixing it well each time. At first, the contents of the bowl will resemble crumbs, but will gradually turn into soft, elastic and not too sticky dough.
  • Divide the dough into 8 pieces. From each part, wetting the hands with vegetable oil, roll the ball. Roll the balls of dough in flour, cover with a cloth and leave for 30-60 minutes.
  • Prepare two pieces of cling film by sprinkling them with flour. Place the dough ball between the films and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a round cake about 2 mm thick. It is important that its diameter is not greater than the diameter of the pan, where you are going to fry it.
  • Similarly, roll out the remaining dough, forming another 7 lozenges.
  • Heat a dry frying pan and place a flat cake on it. Wait until bubbles start to appear on it - it will happen in about a minute. Turn the cake over and fry it on the other side for 40-60 seconds.
  • Remove the cake and place on the dish. Cover it with a cloth moistened with clean water.
  • In the same way, fry the remaining tortillas.

It is advisable to fry the tortillas immediately before dinner, as they eat them warm. If the cakes are cool, they still have to be heated in the same pan or in the microwave.

Cornmeal tortilla is easy to turn into corn chips. To do this, they are enough to cut into pieces of approximately the same shape and size, then dry in a griddle or in a microwave oven. These chips are used by Mexicans as tableware, for example, by recruiting sauce in them, and our compatriots are happy to eat beer with such chips. Corn chips and kids will love it, but for them, tortillas need to be cooked without pepper.

Wheat Flour Tortilla

Composition:

  • wheat flour - 0.5 kg;
  • salt - 10-20 g;
  • baking powder for dough - 5 g (unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer);
  • margarine - 100 g;
  • water - 0, 3 l;
  • spices and spices (optional) - to taste.

Method of preparation:

  • Sift flour.
  • Pour baking powder for flour or pastry or baking powder, salt, dry spices and spices. Mix everything well.
  • Finely chop margarine with a knife or grate, add to flour.
  • Stir the contents of the bowl.
  • Pour cold water in small portions into the bowl, knead the dough.
  • Split the dough into pieces the size of a chicken egg, roll round balls of them. Leave, covered with a cloth, for about half an hour.
  • Roll the ball of dough into cakes with a diameter of 17-20 cm.
  • Fry the cakes in a dry frying pan, giving each side 40-60 seconds.
  • Fold the tortillas on a plate and place them in a plastic bag moistened with water from the inside. It is necessary that the cakes are not too dry. If you want to use them as chips, the package is not needed.

Use tortillas instead of bread or for cooking other dishes. They can also be broken into pieces and served instead of chips. They are suitable, in particular, as a snack for beer.

The finished tortilla made from wheat flour can be sprinkled with grated cheese and for a few minutes sent to an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Then it will turn into a cake with cheese, even more delicious.

Classic Spanish potato tortilla

Composition:

  • potatoes - 1 kg;
  • onions - 150 g;
  • chicken egg - 10 pcs .;
  • olive oil - 100 ml;
  • salt, black pepper powder - to taste.

Method of preparation:

  • Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin, round slices, as for chips.
  • Remove onion peel. Onions cut into small pieces.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, adding salt and pepper.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a pan, put onion in it and fry it until golden brown.
  • Put the potatoes on the bow and brown them well.
  • Transfer the potatoes to a separate container.
  • Smear a clean pan with oil, put a thin layer of chips on it, cover with a small amount of eggs. Cover and grill until done.
  • Remove the finished tortilla from the pan, grease it again, put a new batch of potatoes on it, cover with eggs and fry just like the previous tortilla.

You can also wrap the stuffing in Spanish tortillas. Such tortillas can be served as a separate dish. Spanish potato tortilla goes well with meat, vegetables and spicy tomato sauce.

Mexican and Spanish tortillas are a little similar to each other. However, those and other flat cakes can be served as separate dishes with sauce or used as a basis for preparing various dishes with filling. Cooking tortilla is easy, if you know the recipes and technology, follow the advice of experienced chefs.

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