Mexican cuisine: why it is better than Russian and what every tourist should try

Mexican cuisine: what is it like?

The dishes of this Latin American country combine the wild flavor of the aborigines (Mayan and Aztec Indians) and the sophistication of the Europeans who spent a lot of time here. This cuisine can easily be called explosive - it is bright, spicy, and amazing in its variety of flavors. In Mexico, they love meat and legumes, so they are frequent guests on Latin American tables. Recipes for Mexican cuisine at home are easy to repeat, since they do not require expensive and rare products. And if in your city there is no, for example, jalapeno pepper, you can replace it with our usual hot pepper.

Traditional Mexican sauces

The names of traditional sauces of Mexican cuisine are known in different parts of the world. Even if you don't know their taste or appearance, you've probably heard of guacamole or tabasco. No Mexican meal is complete without them. The most popular sauce is salsa. It is prepared from tomatoes, chili peppers, cilantro, celery with the addition of lime juice. All ingredients are crushed and mixed, and then served with meat dishes and hot appetizers. Another famous sauce is guacamole. It is green in color because it is made from avocado, lime and green pepper. The sauce is served with meat dishes, as well as nacho chips and corn tortillas. Mole sauce is not so well known among tourists. Various herbs and spices, cocoa beans, nuts and oils, and chili peppers are used as ingredients. Serve it with poultry or fish. Well, what are Mexican sauces without Tabasco? The spicy dish is prepared from ripe Tabasco peppers with vinegar and salt. The sauce is infused for three years in special barrels. After cooking, it is served with soups and meat, added to vegetable stews and other hot snacks.

How to make tacos at home?

Juicy minced meat wrapped in a tortilla, tacos, are probably the most famous dish from Mexico. How to cook it at home? 400 grams of ground beef should be fried in a frying pan, adding salt and pepper. Then add a can of red beans to the pan along with the filling and 100 grams of chopped ham. Simmer for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the chopped onion, 3 tomatoes and a bunch of parsley. Add salt, ketchup and Tabasco sauce.

On a heated Mexican tortilla (you can make them yourself, but it’s easier to buy) put a layer of melted cheese, then hot minced meat, vegetables in sauce. The flatbread needs to be rolled up and the dish is ready. If you couldn't find tortillas in the store, then replace them with pita bread.

Mexican corn tortillas

Tortilla dough made from corn flour is always mixed with the addition of wheat, which gives it the missing plasticity and softness. Products in this design will acquire the desired taste, but will not fall apart when rolled out and baked. The specified amount of ingredients is enough for 6 cakes.

Ingredients:

• corn flour – 1 cup;
• wheat flour – ½ cup;
• water – ½ cup;
• salt – ½ teaspoon;
• oil – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Preparation

1. Mix two types of flour with salt.
2. Pour in warm water and oil, knead the dough, and leave for 30 minutes.
3. Portions of dough are rolled out between two layers of film.
4. Mexican corn tortilla is baked quickly: literally 1.5-2 minutes in a heated frying pan, and the product is ready.

Wheat tortilla

DIY Mexican tortilla can only be made from wheat flour. This recipe uses butter, which creates the effect of a sandy texture of the products. However, if desired, it can be replaced with a vegetable one - the result will be different, but no less worthy and tasty.

Ingredients:

• wheat flour – 2 cups;
• salt – ½ teaspoon;
• water – 200 ml;
• butter – 50 g.

Preparation

1. Grind flour with salt and butter until crumbly.
2. Add warm water and knead a soft dough.
3. After half an hour, divide the lump into parts, roll each thinly, placing the portions between two pieces of film.
4. Brown the products in a dry frying pan.

Mexican Recipes: Quesadillas

Chop the onion and fry it in a frying pan with minced beef (this product is very respected in the country).

Wash, peel and chop the chillies and add to the pan. Add a jar of canned corn and beans there. Season with coriander, cumin, pepper and salt. Simmer everything covered for 10 minutes.

Grate 200 grams of hard cheese. Heat butter in a frying pan and place tortillas on it, sprinkle with cheese. Then put the filling on the flatbread and cover it with cheese again. Cover everything on top with the second cake. The dish needs to be fried on both sides, but do not rush to turn it over. The cheese must melt, otherwise when you try to turn the quesadilla over, all the filling will spill out.

The flatbreads should be served hot. In Mexican cuisine, quesadillas are prepared not only with minced meat, but also with mushrooms, potatoes and even pumpkin flowers.

Meat dishes: popular treats

Mexican meat dishes amaze with their fullness and variety of flavors. They can rightly be called the unofficial calling card of the country. After all, visiting Mexico and not trying one of its most famous dishes is a crime. The most popular meat treats are:

• Mexican tacos - corn tortillas with minced meat and vegetables, seasoned with Tabasco sauce;
• quesadilla - flatbread stuffed with chicken and cheese;
• fajitas - grilled beef with tomatoes, wrapped in a corn flour tortilla;
• · enchiladas - cornmeal rolls with minced beef in tomato sauce;
• tamale is a dish of corn paste and meat that is cooked in the leaves of corn cobs.

Mexican national cuisine is in many ways similar to fast food from popular fast foods. However, this did not prevent local treats from winning the love of representatives of various countries and peoples of the world.

How to cook tamales?

To make tamales you will need corn cob leaves. If you bought them dried, soak them in water overnight. You need about 20 leaves. If you can’t get this ingredient, replace it with foil or baking parchment. The authenticity of the dish will be slightly lost, but the taste will not be affected.

Prepare the dough by mixing 2 cups of corn flour, 100 grams of butter and salt. Carefully pour 1.5 cups of chicken broth into the stiff dough, add a little soda and beat until bubbly.

Next, you need to chop a few green tomatoes, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 chili peppers and simmer them in a frying pan. Puree the stewed vegetables using a blender. Add some cilantro and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, then add the chopped chicken breast.

You need to put a little dough on the corn leaf and spread it. Then add the filling - tomato mixture with chicken - and tie the leaf like a cabbage roll. The tamale is steamed for an hour. As a result, the dough should quickly move away from the sheet (or parchment).

All products in a tamale are interchangeable: if you don’t have green tomatoes, then replace them with red ones or even tomato paste; instead of chicken, you can use turkey or fish.

Cooking Mexican dish enchilada - original recipe with physalis

Today we will have a dish with history. Moreover, the story will be from my life. One day, my relatives planted physalis in their garden as an experiment. What is physalis in our understanding? These are small orange berries in a funny box, which are also called “Asian cranberries.” Sour, terribly healthy and cute. That was the goal. To chew on, like in childhood.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

But, as it happens, the seeds were taken from different sources, no one took into account that physalis has a lot of species, it is not only a berry, but also a vegetable. And then these huge boxes grew, with practically green tomatoes inside. It turned out that physalis is generally a relative of the tomato, even larger in size than cherry tomatoes. And now there are a lot of them ripening, but what to do with them is not clear. Well, we rolled it up in a laugh jar and tried to eat it. The taste is so-so, uninteresting, not like berry. Not great for salad either.

And it so happened that I decided to cook something interesting from my list, which I have written on the board in my kitchen. I chose and chose, and finally settled on the Mexican enchilada dish. I liked the name. I started studying the recipes - I didn’t like one, I didn’t like another, the third was kind of boring, the fourth had chicken instead of beef. And then I go to some culinary blog, which I have not seen before, and find a good recipe. I'm reading. And there in the first lines it says that enchilada sauce is usually made from “tomatillo” - a green Mexican tomato. And they say it is much more authentic than ordinary tomatoes, but it’s difficult to get. Because it is a vegetable physalis. And a picture is attached. Wow! And I have a bag of this physalis lying around, I don’t know what to cook with it.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

What was the probability of choosing this particular dish from a large list and stumbling upon this particular recipe? There was nothing about tomatillos in other recipes; they used regular tomatoes. And then it came together completely by chance. And, of course, I prepared a very correct enchilada, photographed everything, and now I’ll tell you about it. And if you don’t have vegetable physalis, then tomatoes, of course, will also work and it will be delicious. You just can’t erase words from history.

What do we need

For the sauce:

• tomatillo (vegetable physalis) or tomatoes - about 400g
• onion - 1 pc.
• garlic - 2-3 cloves
• chili pepper or jalapeno
• oregano
• cilantro
• cumin (jeera)
• salt
• black pepper

For filling:

• beef (pulp) - 400 g.
• garlic - 2 cloves
• cumin (jeera)
• oregano
• salt
• vegetable oil
• tortillas
• cheese

In general, enchiladas, like any Mexican dish, are quite variable. You can cook it with a variety of meats or poultry, you can experiment with the shape, but I’ll tell you a classic recipe that will never let you down. True, it doesn’t look too pretty, but the excellent taste makes up for everything.

We start, as usual, with meat, because it takes the longest to cook. Take a good piece of soft beef and rub it with garlic, salt, vegetable oil and spices.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Here, of course, it is better to use dry oregano and ground cumin. We chop the garlic finely, this is already clear.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Rub the meat, place it on foil greased with vegetable oil, and wrap tightly. We won’t wait for it to marinate. We will place the package in the oven, preheated to 160 degrees, and at this low temperature we will bake the beef for 2 hours. This takes a long time, but we want the meat to break down into fibers that are infused with the flavors of the spices. So we set it and forget it. Mexican technology is simple. You can throw it into a cooling fire or grill and bake it, nothing special is required.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

While the meat is arriving, you can make the sauce, which is also very simple to make. Cut the tomatillos or tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers into small pieces and place them in a saucepan.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Pour in 2/3 cup of water and put on fire. If you are using dry herbs, then add them immediately too.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Bring everything to a boil and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Next, add spices and fresh herbs if you have them. I added some Mexican spice mix I had in my stash. It will not be worse.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Remove the saucepan from the heat and puree the mixture with a blender until smooth. The sauce is ready. You can try and add more if something is missing. The sauce turns out quite sour and spicy, as it should be. It's an enchilada.

Now we return to the meat, which has already reached the point of being cooked in the oven. Unwrap, remove the meat and tear it into fibers. You can do this with a knife and fork, I have a special device for this - something like bear claws. The meat should be very soft and grinding will not be difficult. Add a couple of tablespoons of our sauce to the meat for juiciness, mix and you can start assembling the dish.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

The enchilada is assembled in an appropriate baking dish. Traditionally, this dish uses Mexican corn tortillas, which are first fried in hot oil to make them more flexible, and then assembled into the dish. In our Palestines, tortillas are all wheat, and therefore there is no need to fry them - they roll up perfectly without it.

Grease one side of the tortilla with sauce, put some meat on top, then sprinkle with coarsely grated cheese. If you are completely Mexican, you can add a few slices of jalapeno to it.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Roll the tortilla into a tube and place it in a baking dish, the bottom of which has been previously poured with a couple of spoons of sauce. So we lay these tubes tightly sideways to each other until the form is filled. You can add a second layer if you want.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Fill the resulting structure with the remaining sauce and sprinkle generously with grated cheese to form a crust.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

Place the future enchilada in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of 190 degrees. The cheese should melt and cover the entire space, as happens with lasagna. When the cheese is browned, you can serve it to the table.

Photo: Maxim Grinkevich

I don't have the slightest idea how it is correct and beautiful to eat. I suspect not, since it's Mexican food. I only know that sour cream is served as a sauce for spicy enchiladas. It will help reduce the sharpness and make the dish softer. This is a very spicy and satisfying food. You try it, and the sounds of fiery Latin American music are already ringing in your head. It doesn’t look very presentable, but you can eat this Mexican lasagna until you lose your strength and human appearance. Delicious. You can guess what to drink with it yourself. This bright dinner will be remembered by everyone for a long time, I’m sure. Viva amigos! All the best to you!

Mexican vegetable stew

The cuisine of Latin America is not only meat dishes; there is also something for a vegetarian to enjoy. Juicy multi-colored stew is a prime example of this.

First, prepare the vegetables: wash 2 carrots, 6 potatoes, 2 onions, 1 bell pepper and pumpkin (preferably the Hokkaido variety). Cut everything into cubes. Then chop a few cloves of garlic and chili pepper (the amount of these ingredients depends on how spicy you like it).

Add vegetables to a deep pan and fry them. The pumpkin should be placed last. Then add a can of canned tomatoes and two cups of water. Simmer for 20 minutes. When the stew is almost ready, add a can of beans. Add salt and spices you like. The finished vegetable stew can be decorated with parsley leaves.

The most meaty dish in Mexico - fajitas

You will need 1 kg of beef, cut into small pieces. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of honey, seasonings (chili, cumin, pepper) and a little vegetable oil with chopped garlic. Place the meat in the spicy marinade and leave for several hours.

Pour the beef marinade into a frying pan, add onion rings and bell pepper strips. Simmer for 15 minutes. Place the meat on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at maximum power in the oven.

Place the finished beef in a frying pan with the vegetables and simmer for about 5 minutes. This Mexican dish should be plated with cabbage leaves or tortillas.

Top 10 most popular national dishes of Mexico

National dishes of Mexico are not very difficult to prepare, but they are very nutritious and healthy, so they are definitely worth trying. And when you return to your homeland, it’s also worth cooking at home to refresh your memory of an unforgettable journey through this amazing, mysterious country.

Tacos or tacos

This dish, beloved by many Mexican men, is made from ground beef, tomatoes, red beans and ham. The hot, juicy filling is wrapped in warm tortillas and eaten with Tabasco sauce. Another way to serve tacos is with bean filling, the tortillas and ground beef filling are served on separate plates and guests fill their own tortillas with whatever and as much as they want.

Quesadilla is a very tasty dish of tortillas with minced beef, chicken or pork, beans, corn and hard cheese. An indispensable ingredient is hot chili pepper. The filling is placed on tortillas sprinkled with grated cheese and the tortillas are fried on both sides. Also, quesadillas are prepared not with meat filling, but with mushroom, cheese, potato, sausage and even pumpkin.

The popular national dish of Mexico, fajitas, contains beef, chili sauce, bell peppers, garlic, onions and wheat tortillas. The spicy taste of this dish is due to the presence of honey in it. Hot meat is served either on flatbread or on lettuce or cabbage leaves.

An incredibly tasty enchilada dish is prepared from minced meat, mushrooms, hard cheese, vegetables and tortillas. A variety of seasonings are added in large quantities. Stuffed rolls are baked in spicy tomato sauce with cheese. The dish is served hot.

Mexican tamale is suitable for those who prefer more dietary food, since it does not contain beef and pork, which are usual for many dishes, but chicken fillet. It is also prepared from green tomatoes, corn flour, hot red pepper and garlic. The dough is applied to the leaves of corn cobs, the filling is spread with chicken fillets, wrapped and steamed in a special bowl. Another variety of Mexican tamales are sweet tamales with a variety of fruit fillings.

The famous spicy-tasting guacamole paste is made from tomatoes, chili peppers, lime, garlic and herbs. But, of course, its main ingredient is avocado. The unique, rich taste of guacomole is appreciated by gourmets from all over the world. Pasta is eaten with meat, mushrooms, fish, but most often with corn flour chips.

You should definitely try the spicy salsa sauce, which is often seasoned with dishes made from potatoes, mushrooms, beef or pork. It contains tomatoes, garlic, hot red pepper, olive oil, onions and seasonings. It is not stewed, but served fresh. At the same time, all its beneficial properties are preserved, and the ingredients included in it not only refresh the taste of the main dish, but also promote good digestion.

Today, Mexican burritos have gained popularity all over the world. These are incredibly tasty and easy to prepare tortilla rolls with all kinds of fillings and various sauces. The filling can be meat, vegetable, cheese, mushroom, potato and even fruit. Buritos are easy to make at home using ingredients on hand and a little creativity. And instead of Mexican corn flour tortillas, the usual pita bread is quite suitable. Minimum time – maximum taste and benefits!

Although many Mexican dishes are mainly main dishes, Mexicans also prepare a variety of soups. My favorite is, of course, the spicy bean soup with chili peppers. The beans are ground in a blender, so you get a flavorful puree soup, decorated with herbs and whole beans. As you know, beans are not only a very nutritious product, but also very healthy. In addition, the soup has a bright taste that even those who are not used to eating legumes will appreciate.

This nutritious and delicious breakfast is a constant part of the morning for many Mexicans. Locals love to tell stories about how cowboys were the first to prepare this simple dish. It resembles the scrambled eggs familiar from childhood. But, of course, Mexican huevos rancheros have their own unique characteristics. The dish is prepared with chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic and smoked sausage. It is usually eaten straight from the pan or wrapped in a tortilla.

Mexican cuisine or national cuisine of Mexico

- this is not just a set of culinary recipes, these are the most ancient customs and traditions of the Aztecs, carried down to the present day in almost unchanged form. In addition, it is a global cultural heritage that has been recognized by UNESCO.

The surprising thing is that throughout the history of Mexican cuisine, it has undergone virtually no changes. Even the ancient utensils that were used in the cooking process have been preserved. Therefore, do not be surprised if, when you go to Mexico, you see how spices are ground in stone mortars to prepare this or that sauce.

The peculiarity of Mexican cuisine is, first of all, predetermined by its geographical location and climatic conditions, thanks to which the variety of fruits and vegetables in this country is simply amazing! In general, we can distinguish three main products that are most often used in cooking. These are corn, beans, and chili peppers.

Corn is a central staple in Mexican cuisine. They use it in all possible forms. For example, flour is made from it, which is the basis for tortillas or corn tortillas. This product, in turn, has become one of the main components in the preparation of such traditional dishes:

• a burrito is a meat pie, or rather a meat filling with beans, rice, tomatoes and cheese, which is wrapped in a corn tortilla;
• enchilada - an envelope of corn tortilla stuffed with chicken or other meat and beans, topped with cheese sauce;
• Chimichangas are tortilla tubes filled with chicken or beef, tomatoes and cheese, fried in a large amount of oil;
• huevos - scrambled eggs baked on corn tortillas.

Also, instead of bread, tortillas are served with salad and all kinds of sauces.

It is believed that Mexican national dishes are invariably spicy. Some even believe that it is almost impossible to eat such food. But this is not entirely true... As a rule, the sauces prepared for the dish are spicy, for example, the famous “Salsa”. The main courses themselves can be neutral. For example, prepared fish or meat can be eaten without fear by those who are not used to spicy food. The spiciness of sauces can be adjusted to your taste.

As for the variety of dishes of traditional Mexican cuisine, it is not in doubt! Among the national recipes you will find appetizers, first courses (soups), main second courses, salads, sauces, and desserts. Although, of course, the food culture of Mexico is completely different from the Slavic culture!

Of the soups in Mexican cuisine, the most famous is the so-called tortilla soup. It is a chicken broth to which fried garlic and onions, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, black pepper, chili pepper, and jalapeno pepper are added. The soup is served by adding fried tortillas and a little grated cheese. It turns out quite spicy.

Fajita is best known as a second course. These are grilled meats, seafood and vegetables that are wrapped in a tartilla. This dish is similar to a burrito, but unlike fajita, the corn tortilla is not stuffed, but is served separately. This way, everyone can choose the filling to their taste. As for the side dish, boiled rice or beans are served with the main dish.

A famous dessert of traditional Mexican cuisine is called Calabaza. It consists of ginger and pumpkin, which are preserved with cane sugar. Also, just fresh fruit can serve as dessert.

And to top it all off, we can’t help but mention tequila, a strong alcoholic drink made from blue guava. She has become a real symbol of the country!

The best way to get acquainted with the national cuisine of Mexico is by traveling to this wonderful country or visiting a restaurant (cafe) serving traditional cuisine. However, don't think that you can't cook Mexican food at home. It's not that difficult! Just follow the recipes with photos that are given on this site and then you will certainly succeed!

Those who have been lucky enough to visit Mexico at least once note the originality and uniqueness of the national cuisine. Indeed, the culinary traditions of Mexicans differ in many ways from the preferences of Russian people. What is so unique about the gastronomic customs of Mexico? Let's try to figure it out in our article.

Mexican cuisine can rightfully be called a harmonious combination of Indian and Spanish culinary traditions. This feature is associated with historical events and cultural customs from the life of the local people. Since ancient times, the inhabitants of Mexico have prepared dishes from products grown here:

• corn,
• Chile,
• legumes,
• chocolate,
• vanilla,
• tomatoes.

Over time, when the first Spanish conquerors appeared on the local shores, the culinary traditions included various types of meat, cheeses, wine, etc. The usual recipes changed, and the taste of the dishes also changed. Thus, the national cuisine of Mexico gradually acquired a form familiar to modern people.

At a UN conference held in November 2010, Mexican cuisine was recognized as one of the cultural heritage of UNESCO. No cuisine in the world has ever been awarded this status.

Famous chili con carne soup

Chili con carne (more commonly just chili) is a dish often prepared in Mexico and Texas. Now dozens of variations of this soup are known, but they are all distinguished by their sharpness, piquancy and depth of flavor. Now we will talk about the most popular chili recipe.

We start preparing the Mexican dish (photo of which is presented here) by frying the chopped onion. Then add half a kilogram of ground beef to the frying pan and cook until half cooked. Meanwhile, cook chicken broth with bay leaf and allspice.

Pour a can of canned beans into the minced meat and simmer for three minutes. Then move the minced meat and beans into a saucepan with broth. Pour three glasses of tomato juice into it, add a little salt and red pepper. You also need to add a spoonful of cocoa to this soup and stir. Cook the dish for another hour and serve.

If desired, chili con carne can also be cooked in a slow cooker. In this case, the onions and minced meat are fried in the “Baking” mode, and the rest of the cooking is in the “Stewing” mode.

Recipe 3: Mexican Tortilla Flatbread

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.

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.

• corn flour - 170 g;
• wheat flour - 70 g;
• vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• fine salt - a pinch;
• water - 120 ml

Sift two types of flour into a work bowl (wheat is added to make working with the dough easier - it makes the cakes more elastic when rolling, crumbles less and does not fall apart).

Dissolve salt in warm water. Add refined oil and pour the liquid into the flour mixture.

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 so that the dough does not stick to the 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.

We will cook the flatbreads in a dry frying pan without adding oil. The products dry very quickly (about a minute on each side), so you can immediately roll out all the 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!

How to cook enchiladas?

Enchiladas are another tortilla-based dish from Mexico. They (along with beans and minced meat) are very popular in the country. It’s rare that a dish is complete without these ingredients.

Take 30 grams of butter and rub it with your hands with a glass of flour. Add 70 ml warm water little by little until you get a fairly elastic dough. Divide the resulting dough into 4 parts, and roll each of them with a rolling pin into a thin tortilla. Fry the tortillas on both sides for about two minutes. The pan should be dry and no oil is required. Place the finished cakes on a damp towel: this will prevent them from drying out while you prepare the filling.

In a frying pan, fry an onion, 200 grams of minced beef and a few champignons. Add some paprika, salt, cumin, Tabasco sauce and half a cup of tomato sauce. Add a little water and simmer the dish for 20 minutes.

Place the filling in each tortilla and roll it up. Place everything in a baking tray and cover with tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

In the article we looked at the most popular recipes for Mexican cuisine with photos. They will perfectly help you understand the culture and character of hot Mexicans, and the dishes themselves are very appetizing.

Tacos - delicious Mexican-style tortillas with hearty filling

Tacos are one of the main dishes of Spanish cuisine. It is a flatbread, hollow inside, filled with a savory filling. The Spaniards joke that these flatbreads appeared in Spain before they did.

In fact, the delicacy was invented by residents of the vicinity of Lake Mexico. They wrapped small fish in cakes. Over time, the taco recipe has been modernized to include all sorts of other fillings.

By preparing this stuffed flatbread at home, you will diversify your daily diet. How to cook tacos at home if your stomach requires something new, and you are not Spanish? We present to your attention the most interesting options.

Tacos - step by step recipe

To experience the real taste of the dish, you need to make the tacos yourself. This may sound like a sentence, but in practice the cooking process is very simple. You need:

• a glass of corn flour;
• 1/5 cup wheat flour;
• a glass of hot water;
• a pinch of salt;
• sunflower oil (lubricate your hands).

Step-by-step recipe for making your own:

1. Combine corn and wheat flour in a container, add salt.
2. Pour the mixture with a glass of hot water.
3. Mix well. The dough should be soft but elastic.
4. If you find it necessary, add a little more water or flour to achieve the desired dough structure.
5. It will be more convenient to knead by rubbing your hands with oil.
6. Divide the resulting dough into 10 equal pieces.
7. Make a ball out of each one. Next, while you work on one of them, cover the others with a towel. This way the dough will not dry out.
8. Crush the ball into a thin cake with a handy “press”, in the form of a cutting board or frying pan. It’s easier to press if you put the dough between pieces of parchment. It will prevent the cake from sticking to the “press”. You can get by with a rolling pin. This way the dough will be rolled out much thinner.
9. Fry the corn tortillas in a dry frying pan without oil. Frying time is a minute on each side. The main thing is not to overcook, otherwise the cakes will dry out.
10. When removing, fold them in half.

The tacos are ready. Suitable as a base for snacks, and as bread for meat, soups, and vegetables.

Mexican taco with chicken

So, you already know how to make the base for the dish. Mexican chicken tacos will delight you with an interesting, unusual taste. You can vary the ingredients, customizing the recipe to suit your preferences. To prepare the original taco recipe at home, you need:

• 1 kg. chicken fillet;
• a couple of hot chili peppers;
• a glass of fresh beans;
• 3 small spoons of vegetable oil;
• a glass of chili sauce;
• a bunch of greens (preferably marjoram and cilantro);
• salt, spices (to taste).

How to make chicken tacos at home:

1. Beforehand, soak the beans in hot water overnight. In the morning, boil until done.
2. Fry chicken fillet in vegetable oil.
3. When the meat is cooked, add chili pepper and boiled beans to the pan. Season with salt and spices.
4. Place the taco in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Spread the filling onto the flatbread melted in the microwave and pour over the sauce. Tear the greens with your hands and decorate the top of the dish.

The Mexican taco is ready. It is better to eat it warm, straight from the heat.

Veal taco

Tender meat generously seasoned with spices is the dream of every gourmet. Mexican cuisine has an answer to this request - veal tacos. To prepare it, you need:

• 300 gr. veal;
• 5 corn tortillas;
• 1 medium onion;
• 1 ripe juicy tomato;
• juice of 1 lemon;
• a bunch of parsley or cilantro;
• vegetable oil (for frying meat);
• salt, Mexican spices (to taste)

Step-by-step recipe for preparing this delicious dish:

1. Cut the meat into small pieces, the onion into half rings, and the tomato into cubes.
2. In a frying pan with a heavy bottom, pour oil onto your finger and heat it. Place the meat in the frying pan, and when it is half-fried, add the onions and tomatoes. Season with spices.
3. Fry until the meat is browned. Afterwards, remove the frying pan from the heat.
4. Spread the filling onto the tortillas. Do it in layers. A layer of meat, a layer of chopped herbs.
5. Sprinkle the last layer with lemon juice. This will give the dish a pleasant sourness.

This veal taco recipe claims to be sophisticated. Despite the simplicity of preparation, the dish will give you Mexican heat and piquancy of taste.

Taco with fish filling

Not a very common taco recipe. Although it is not clear for what reason Mexican cuisine relegates it to the rear. After all, this is how this fast food was originally prepared, with fish. Let's go back to basics. Ingredients:

• 5-7 corn tortillas;
• half a kilo of fish fillet (better if it is cod);
• 3 chipotle peppers;
• 6 cherry tomatoes;
• 2 small limes;
• 2 large spoons of mayonnaise;
• a glass of yogurt;
• 50 ml. vegetable oil for marinade;
• spices, salt (to taste).

Cooking instructions:

1. Prepare the marinade for the fish fillet. To do this, mix the oil with spices and squeeze lime juice into it.
2. Cut the fish fillet into medium-thick pieces. Pour the marinade over them and leave them like this in the refrigerator for half an hour.
3. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
4. Remove the skin from them. Place the marinated fish fillet in a baking tray with the tomatoes, pouring the remaining marinade over it. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at the same temperature.
5. Mix chipotle sauce: combine yogurt with mayonnaise, squeeze the remaining lime, add salt, and add your favorite spices.
6. Place the filling on warm tortillas, pour chipotle sauce over everything, and sprinkle with a drop of lime juice.

Tacos are not just fast food, they are a whole culture of preparing delicious snacks. Once you learn how to cook them yourself, you can improvise and add your own touches.

: Mexican tacos - step by step recipe

Source: https://gotovite.ru/mirovaya-kuxnya/tako-appetitnye-lepeshki-po-meksikanski-s-sytnoj-nachinkoj.html