How to make tortilla chips at home. Tortilla - what kind of Mexican dish is it and how to properly prepare it at home with photos

Tortillas are flatbreads characteristic of Mexican, American and Spanish cuisine. They are especially common in Spain and Mexico, where they are among the main national dishes. Mexicans wrap various fillings in tortillas, serve them instead of bread, and even use them instead of spoons to scoop up thick soup or sauce. The classic Spanish tortilla is made from potatoes. In Mexico, the classic recipe uses cornmeal as a base. Each of these recipes has several variations. There are also recipes that use wheat flour as the basis.

Cooking features

Traditionally, tortillas were made from unleavened dough, but today the most popular are tortillas made from flour or potatoes with the addition of ingredients such as butter and chicken eggs. Today these recipes are considered classic. It’s so easy to prepare tortillas using them that an efficient housewife can treat family members with them every day. Knowing a few important points will make her job much easier and help her prepare truly delicious tortillas.

Even if, following tradition, you used corn flour as the basis for making tortillas, it doesn’t 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 take out the butter in advance and it hasn't had time to soften, you can grate it.
Instead of butter, you can use margarine, then the corn tortilla will be lean and suitable for a vegetarian table.
The dough prepared for tortillas should “rest” after kneading, then the tortillas will turn out more tender.
To prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin when rolling, place it between two layers of cling film sprinkled with flour.
You need to fry the tortillas in a dry frying pan on both sides. It usually takes about a minute to brown the tortilla on one side. It is better not to exceed this time, otherwise the cakes may turn out too dry and brittle.
To prevent the cakes from drying out, they can be lined with wet wipes.
If you are making tortillas to later wrap the filling in, add ground red pepper to the dough - such tortillas are traditionally made spicy.
Ready-made tortillas can be stored in the refrigerator, but before serving they must be heated in a dry frying pan or in the microwave - they are usually served warm.

These tips will come in handy no matter what tortilla recipe you choose, classic or adapted.

Classic Mexican Corn Tortilla Recipe

corn flour – 0.4 kg;
wheat flour – 100 g;
cold water – 0.25 l;
butter – 50 g;
salt – 5 g;
ground red pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

Sift and combine corn and wheat flour in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to them. The latter may not be added if you are preparing tortillas not to wrap the filling in them, but to use them instead of bread.
Place the softened butter in a plate with flour. Mash it with a fork and mix it into the flour as much as you can.
Pour in 50 ml of water, stir the dough. Continue pouring water into the bowl with flour in small portions, stirring well each time. The contents of the bowl will initially resemble crumbs, but will gradually turn into a soft, elastic and not too sticky dough.
Divide the dough into 8 parts. From each part, moisten your hands with vegetable oil, roll into a ball. Dip the dough balls in flour, cover with a cloth and leave for 30-60 minutes.
Prepare two pieces of cling film by dusting them with flour. Place the ball of dough between the films and, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a round cake about 2 mm thick. It is important that its diameter is no larger than the diameter of the frying pan in which you are going to fry it.
Roll out the remaining dough in the same way, forming 7 more cakes.
Heat a dry frying pan and place the flatbread on it. Wait until bubbles start to appear on it - this will happen in about a minute. Flip the tortilla and fry the other side for 40-60 seconds.
Remove the tortilla and place on a plate. Cover it with a cloth soaked in clean water.
Fry the remaining tortillas in the same way.

It is advisable to fry tortillas immediately before lunch, as they are eaten warm. If the tortillas cool down, they will still need to be reheated in the same pan or in the microwave.

Corn flour tortillas are easy to turn into corn chips. To do this, just cut them into pieces of approximately the same shape and size, then dry them in a frying pan or in a microwave oven. Mexicans use such chips as cutlery, for example, putting sauce into them, and our compatriots enjoy snacking on beer with such chips. Children will also like corn chips, but tortillas for them need to be prepared without pepper.

Wheat flour tortilla

wheat flour – 0.5 kg;
salt – 10–20 g;
baking powder for dough – 5 g (unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer);
margarine – 100 g;
water – 0.3 l;
herbs and spices (optional) - to taste.

Cooking method:

Sift the flour.
Add baking powder or baking powder, salt, dry herbs and spices to the flour. Mix everything well.
Finely chop the margarine with a knife or grate it and add to the flour.
Stir the contents of the bowl.
Pour cold water into the bowl in small portions and knead the dough.
Divide the dough into pieces the size of a chicken egg and roll them into round balls. Leave, covered with a cloth, for about half an hour.
Roll out the ball of dough into flat cakes with a diameter of 17–20 cm.
Fry the tortillas in a dry frying pan, spending 40-60 seconds on each side.
Place the tortillas on a plate and place it in a plastic bag that has been moistened with water on the inside. This is necessary so that the cakes do not dry out too much. If you want to use them as chips, no bag is needed.

Use tortillas instead of bread or in 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 wheat flour tortilla can be sprinkled with grated cheese and placed in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for a few minutes. Then it will turn into a flatbread with cheese, even more delicious.

Classic Spanish potato tortilla

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

Cooking method:

Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin round slices, as for chips.
Remove the skins from the onion. Cut the onion into small pieces.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, adding salt and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the onion and fry it until golden brown.
Add the potatoes to the onions and brown them well.
Transfer the potatoes to a separate container.
Grease a clean frying pan with oil, place a thin layer of fried potatoes on it, and pour in a small amount of eggs. Cover with a lid and fry until done.

Tortillas are flatbreads that came to us from distant Mexico. They are somewhat similar to the well-known lavash: thin rolled out dough fried in a frying pan. They taste quite unusual, not quite like ordinary bread. But the most important thing is that you need to eat them hot, only then you can feel their indescribable taste.

The name itself is translated as “round flatbread”, and is pronounced in two ways: “tortilla” or “tortiya”. In Spanish, the second option would be correct, but for the Russian ear the first option is more familiar.

In Mexico, tortillas are one of the most common food products. What they don’t cook with! They use flatbreads to eat sauces, dip them into goulash, and stuff them with a wide variety of fillings.

Now “round cakes” can be purchased in our stores, but this is not so easy, because not everyone has them on sale. And the taste is significantly inferior to the real thing: the dough is more like rubber.

Making tortillas at home

Homemade tortilla is easy to prepare and doesn’t take much time. To make a delicious flatbread, you need a minimum of ingredients. In addition, there are several cooking methods. Traditionally, tortillas are flatbreads made from corn dough. But if you use the usual one, they turn out no less tasty. Let's look at both methods.

Corn tortillas

Required ingredients:

two glasses of corn flour;
one and a half glasses of water;
half a teaspoon of salt;
a little vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation

Start by mixing flour and salt. Slowly pour water into the bowl while kneading the dough. It should turn out similar to plasticine: soft, dry and pliable.

Cut the mixture into small pieces and roll them into thin flat cakes. The dough should not tear. If suddenly this happens, add a little more water to it.

It is very important to choose the right frying pan. The best choice for tortillas is cast iron because it distributes the heat evenly. Add a little oil to the pan and fry the flatbreads first on one side and then on the other until they turn slightly golden. Cover the finished cakes with something to keep them warm.

Flour tortillas

If for some reason the cornmeal option doesn't suit you, but you want to make tortillas, this flour dough recipe is just for you.

Ingredients:

four glasses of flour;
a small spoon of baking powder;
spoon of salt;
glass of water;
a little vegetable oil.

Cooking process

In a fairly large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Then add some vegetable oil or fat. Knead the dough well so that there are no lumps. Make a small well and pour in half the water, stir, and then add the rest. The resulting dough should be slightly sticky.

Leave the mixture for about ten minutes. Cut into pieces and roll them out. Fry the tortillas in a frying pan. As soon as you see bubbles appearing, they are ready.

Where to use tortilla

Both homemade and store-bought flatbreads make a great snack. You just need to choose a filler: here you can imagine almost limitlessly! For example, it turns out very tasty with chicken fried in a frying pan and feta cheese. Another filling option is beef and red beans.

Just like pita bread, tortillas can be filled with grated cheese with mayonnaise, garlic and herbs, and then cut into small pieces.

Don't be afraid to experiment. They can even be filled with shrimp and other seafood. An interesting taste is obtained if the flatbreads along with the filling are baked in the oven. In addition, they can be served simply as bread, along with sauces.

Currently, Mexican cuisine is widespread in many European countries. It has always been and is valued for its nutritious and delicious treats. What's the secret? Everything is quite simple.

All the treats were invented by ordinary peasant families. And, as you know, peasants have always loved hearty and nutritious dishes. Therefore, when preparing treats, natural and high-calorie ingredients are used.

A dish like tortilla has always been, and still is, the most excellent delicacy in Mexico. Essentially, it is a round shaped flatbread made from wheat or corn flour. It is an excellent addition to meat and vegetable dishes.

Many people are interested in how it can be made at home. Let's figure out what kind of dish this is and consider well-known cooking recipes.

Recipe Details

This dish is widespread in Mexico, Central America and the USA. In Mexico, tortilla is the national dish.

This flatbread is used for many treats. When preparing dishes such as enchiladas, burrittos, fajitas, tacos, quesadillas, a variety of fillings are wrapped in a tortilla. Tortillas are often served as bread for many dishes.

It is used as a base for pies, sandwiches, rolls, and canapés. In addition, these flatbreads are often fried, baked, or served plain without filling. Crispy pieces of flatbread are added to soups.

For many Mexicans, tortilla replaces a spoon and fork. It is used to scoop up sauces and soups, hold pieces of meat and vegetables, and at the end of the meal it is usually eaten.

Tortillas are baked over an open fire in round clay pans called comals. When heated, the clay heats up, and due to this, the cake bakes quickly and does not turn out dry and brittle.

So, how to prepare this treat yourself at home?

Classic Mexican tortilla recipe

Preparation:

Pour flour, baking powder and table salt into a container. Mix everything;

Add vegetable oil and grated butter to the mixture;

Rub the entire mass with your hands until crumbs form;

After this, divide the dough into small balls shaped like chicken eggs. Place them on a board and cover with a towel. Leave for half an hour for the dough to rise;

Then sprinkle the work surface or cutting board with flour. Roll out each ball into a thin pancake with a diameter of 17-20 cm;

Place a frying pan without oil on the stove and heat it up. Place each pancake on a hot frying pan. Fry on each side for 40-60 seconds. After frying, the pancake should be placed on a towel and wrapped;

Serve the tortillas immediately hot or warm.

Mexican stuffed tortilla recipes

Rolls stuffed with meat and tomatoes and grated cheese

The following products will be required:

Tortilla – 8 pieces;
Tomatoes – 400 grams;
Hard cheese – 300 grams;
Meat pulp – 400 grams;
Mayonnaise – 300 grams;
Vegetable oil;
Pickled cucumbers or peppers – 3 pieces;
Lettuce leaves – 3 pieces;
Salt and ground pepper

Preparation:

Tomatoes are cut into small pieces and stewed in vegetable oil until medium;
200 grams of cheese are grated with a medium grater and poured into stewed tomatoes;
Season the whole mass with mayonnaise, pepper and add some salt. Mix well and spread over the flatbreads evenly over the entire surface;
Cut lettuce leaves into medium pieces and sprinkle with tomato and cheese filling;
Boil the meat and cut into medium cubes;
Fry the chopped meat in vegetable oil until golden brown. Pepper it generously and add some salt;
Place meat on top of lettuce pieces;
Cut the pickled cucumbers or peppers into slices and cover the meat with them;
We wrap the flatbreads in the form of rolls;
Rub 100 grams of cheese on a fine grater and sprinkle it on the top of the rolls;
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and place the rolls there for 15 minutes.

Tortillas with vegetable filling

You will need the following components:

Tortillas – 10 pieces;
400 grams of canned beans;
Avocado – 1 piece;
100 ml sour cream or cream;
Lettuce leaves – 3 pieces;
One onion;
Hard cheese – 150 grams;
Vegetable oil;
Spices – ground coriander, pepper, table salt.

Preparation:

Place 200 grams of canned beans in a blender cup and grind it to a puree;
Add sour cream or cream to the puree and mix well;
Then add the rest of the beans to the mixture and mix;
The husks are peeled off the onion. Then it is cut into small pieces and fried in vegetable oil for 6 minutes;
Next, add the bean mixture to the onion. Add a little ground coriander, pepper and add some salt. Stir and fry for 6 minutes;
The avocado needs to be peeled. Then we cut it, take out the pit and cut it into small slices;
Place avocado slices into vegetable frying;
The finished tortillas should be lightly fried in a frying pan without oil on both sides. Each side is fried for 40-60 seconds;
Spread the vegetable filling in an even thin layer on each flatbread;
Rub the cheese with a fine grater and sprinkle it over the vegetable mixture;
We roll each flatbread with filling into rolls.

Tortilla with chicken

For the treat you will need the following components:

Flatbreads – 10 pieces;
Half a kilogram of chicken meat;
150 grams of hard cheese;
One zucchini;
One onion;
Half a bell pepper;
Vegetable oil;
A little table salt and spices.

Preparation:

The onion is peeled and chopped into small cubes;
Place a frying pan on the fire, pour in vegetable oil and heat it up. Add onion to hot oil and fry for 5 minutes;
Next, wash the chicken meat and cut it into strips;
Place the meat in a frying pan with onions, add some salt and pepper and fry for 5 minutes. Then put everything in a cup;
Peel the zucchini from skin and seeds and cut into thin strips;
Peel the pepper from seeds and cut into strips;
Place the zucchini and pepper in the oil in which the onion and cape were fried. Fry vegetables for 3 minutes. They also need to be salted and peppered;
First, spread the vegetables evenly over the entire surface on the flatbread. Next, place a layer of meat and onions on top of the vegetables;
Rub the cheese on a fine grater and sprinkle it over the filling;
Roll the cakes into rolls.

Tortilla with juicy minced meat

The following components will be required:

Flatbreads – 6 pieces;
One onion;
400 grams of minced meat;
150 grams of hard cheese;
4 tomatoes;
A bunch of parsley;
Vegetable oil;
A little salt and spices.

Preparation:

The onion should be peeled and finely chopped with a knife;
Place a frying pan on the stove, pour in vegetable oil and heat it up. Place onion pieces into hot oil and sauté for 5 minutes;
Next, add the minced meat to the onion and fry;
Tomatoes are peeled and cut into small slices. Pour into the frying mixture of onions and minced meat;
Finely chop the greens with a knife and pour them into the pan with the ingredients. Sauté everything for 10 minutes;
After this, put the dry frying pan on the fire and heat it up. Place the flatbread on a heated frying pan, place 1/3 of the minced meat filling and tomato on its surface in a layer, add salt, sprinkle with spices and grated cheese. Next, cover everything with the second cake;
Fry the tortillas on both sides for 1 minute;
The result should be 3 servings.

Spanish potato tortilla

The following ingredients will be required:

Potatoes – 1 kg;
One onion;
8 chicken eggs;
Olive oil – 100 ml;
A little salt and ground black pepper.

Preparation:

Peel the skin from the potatoes and cut into medium slices;
Peel the onion and cut into small pieces;
Pour olive oil into a frying pan and heat it up. Place potatoes and onions on hot oil. Fry everything for about half an hour. Stir occasionally to prevent the potatoes and onions from burning;
Meanwhile, separate the chicken eggs from their shells and place them in a bowl. Beat them with whisks until smooth. You also need to add a little salt and pepper to the eggs;
Place the finished potatoes and onions in a container and fill it with beaten eggs;
Then put the potatoes and eggs in a frying pan with oil and fry. After the chicken eggs have set, close the pan with a lid and leave for 10 minutes. Cook over medium heat;
The finished Spanish tortilla is served 20 minutes after cooking;
You can serve vegetables or meat as a side dish.

You can use corn flour instead of wheat flour. This flour makes cakes very tasty and crispy;
Ready-made flatbreads should be eaten hot immediately after cooking. If you can’t eat all the flatbreads at once, you can put them in the refrigerator. Cooled tortillas can be fried again in a frying pan without oil;
If you are making a stuffed tortilla, be sure to use pepper. Sprinkle the filling generously with pepper. The filled tortilla should be spicy;
Cook the tortillas only in a dry frying pan and fry each side for no more than a minute. Otherwise they will burn and will not be tasty.

Tortilla will diversify and brighten up your everyday menu. The flatbreads are especially delicious with the filling. You can use a wide variety of fillings for them - meat, fruits, vegetables. They will always turn out excellent. Definitely make this dish. Rest assured, both you and your family members will really like it.

Ecology of consumption. No matter what kind of Mexican dish you cook, in most cases you will definitely need tortillas...

No matter what kind of Mexican dish you cook, in most cases you will definitely need tortillas. Tortillas are thin flatbreads made from corn or wheat flour., such a version of lavash. Tortillas can, of course, be bought now in almost any supermarket, but these are dry, tasteless cakes that can be stored in the store for months.

Tortillas can be divided into two types. The first is crispy and thin flatbreads. These tortillas have a lot of fat and are excellent with grilled meats or vegetables.

The second option, which I have become accustomed to during my many trips to Houston, is soft and plastic tortillas. They are good to use for tacos, burritos and enchiladas, or just as a snack with some hot sauce. I will share the recipe for such flatbreads with you today.

The secret to delicious homemade flatbreads is this:

Baking powder gives tortillas a light texture and softness,
The most tender and flexible tortillas are obtained if they are cooked in a very hot frying pan,
If possible, use lard rather than butter in your tortillas. It is with this that tortillas are prepared in Mexico. You can buy it in supermarkets or make it yourself. To do this, you just need to melt and then cool a piece of lard or bacon.

INGREDIENTS /for 8 pieces/

2 cups (250 grams) flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons (45 grams) lard, lard, or vegetable (not olive) oil
¾ cup (180 ml) very warm water

COOKING METHOD:

Step 1.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the fat or oil and use your fingers to rub it into the flour into coarse crumbs.

Add warm water and knead the dough until there is no dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl.

Step 2.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead the dough until smooth, about 1 minute.

You can also knead the dough in a food processor. Cover the dough with a damp towel or cling film and let it rest for 7-10 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces, cover with a towel and leave for another 5-7 minutes.

Step 3.

Heat a frying pan over high heat. Roll out one ball of dough into a medium-sized circle about 2mm thick.

Cook the tortillas in the hot pan for 30-60 seconds, then flip and cook for another 30-60 seconds.

Repeat with remaining dough. Keep the finished tortillas under a towel until you prepare the remaining tortillas. published

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The classic Mexican tortilla is a round thin flatbread made from corn or wheat flour. Can be served with main dishes (like bread) or act as a base for filling. They prepare using Mexican tortillas, etc. The tortilla is combined with different fillings - meat, chicken, vegetables, cheese, quickly soaked in sauces, easily rolled up and takes the desired shape. When rolled up with filling and addition in the form, it is even suitable as an original snack for the holiday table. So why not make these versatile flatbreads yourself? Especially when there are detailed recipes with photos. Below we will take a closer look at the process of creating corn and wheat tortillas at home.

Tortilla classic Mexican flatbread recipe

Although corn flour is less popular in our cuisine than wheat flour, it is quite accessible and is often found on store shelves, especially in large supermarkets. It has a pleasant yellow color, making the finished cakes “sunny”, attractive and appetizing. In addition, products prepared with corn flour are especially light, crumbly, do not go stale longer and retain their taste.

Ingredients:

corn flour - 130 g;
wheat flour - 130 g;
vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
fine salt - 1/2 teaspoon;
hot water - 130 ml.

How to prepare corn tortilla

Sift two types of flour into a work bowl (wheat is added to make working with the dough easier - with it the cakes are more elastic when rolled out, crumble less and do not fall apart).
Dissolve salt in hot water. Add refined oil and pour the liquid into the flour mixture, mix with a spoon.
Let's start kneading by hand. You don’t need to knead this dough for a long time; it’s enough to achieve homogeneity and smoothness, to get a soft and elastic ball of flour. If necessary, adjust the amount of flour or water - if the dough turns out watery and very sticky, add flour in small portions and knead to the desired consistency. If, on the contrary, the mass comes out very dry, crumbly and does not gather into one lump, add water (but always in small portions, just a little at a time, so as not to overdo it).
Wrapping it in cling film or covering it with a towel, leave the flour ball alone for half an hour (at room temperature) - after the “rest” the dough will become even more pliable and “obedient” to work with. After the specified time, divide the mass into 6 identical koloboks.
Let's start rolling out the cakes. It is most convenient to do this between two sheets of parchment paper, or on a silicone mat, so that the dough does not stick to the table surface and does not crumble. Place a flour bun on one sheet and cover with a second sheet. Flatten the ball with your palm into a round cake, and then roll it out with a rolling pin as thin as possible, but do not allow the dough to tear. The cakes should be very thin, diameter 18-20 cm.
We will cook the products in a dry frying pan without adding oil. Thin layers of dough dry very quickly (about a minute on each side), so you can immediately roll out all the dough pieces before starting the frying process. So, place the flatbread on a hot surface and cook over medium heat until bubbles appear on the surface of the dough and a spotty crust appears on the bottom. The thinner the flatbreads are rolled out, the shorter the frying time.
Turn over and finish baking the second side (as a rule, it browns faster than the first). It is very important not to over-dry the tortillas in the pan, otherwise they will turn out hard and will break when folding the filling.
Remove the browned corn tortilla from the pan. Cover with a towel to maintain softness and flexibility. We do the same with the rest of the blanks. If a quesadilla or other dish based on Mexican tortillas will not be prepared immediately, but the next day, store the products in a bag or dry, tightly closed container. The classic corn tortilla is ready!

Mexican tortilla recipe with wheat flour

If you don’t have cornmeal at home, don’t put off making tortillas until the right time. We use simple products that can be found in every home and make tortillas inspired by Mexican cuisine. The process couldn't be easier! Dough made with wheat flour is plastic, does not cause difficulties during kneading and does not resist rolling out. Such tortillas (like corn tortillas) are prepared over high heat, that is, in a frying pan, traditionally dry, without the use of oil.

Ingredients:

flour (wheat) - 230 g;
fine salt - 1 teaspoon without a slide;
hot water - 120 ml;
butter - 30 g.

How to prepare wheat tortilla

Immediately sift the entire amount of wheat flour into a work bowl. Add fine salt and stir.
We take the butter out of the cold in advance and allow it to soften naturally at room temperature. Then cut into random pieces and add to flour.
Using your palms, rub the flour and butter into crumbs.
Then add water. The liquid should not be boiling, but hot.
To avoid getting burned, first mix the ingredients with a spoon.
When the mass has cooled slightly and becomes tolerably warm, we begin kneading by hand. We form a homogeneous ball of flour, similar in consistency to dumpling dough. As in the previous recipe, the amount of flour may vary slightly from that indicated (depending on the gluten and moisture content of this product). If necessary, you can add a little flour or water (but do not overdo it!).
Let the dough “rest” under a towel for half an hour, and then proceed to rolling out. Divide the lump into 6 or 8 parts (depending on the desired size of the cakes).
Lightly flour the work surface and roll out one lump into a thin round layer. Ideally, the rolled out workpiece should even be translucent. The flatbreads are dried in a frying pan instantly, so you can roll out all the buns at once so as not to be distracted during frying and not miss the moment.
Heat a dry frying pan, and then lay out one flat cake. Keep it on medium heat for about a minute - until golden spots appear on the bottom and the surface is covered with small or large bubbles.
Turn the cake over and brown the other side. The product can inflate - this is a completely natural process; the dough separates and bakes.
Cover the finished cakes with a towel to make them softer and more elastic. That's it - Mexican wheat tortilla is ready!

You can start wrapping the filling or eating flatbreads instead of bread. Bon appetit!