Pink Corn Tortillas

I love preparing different colored corn tortillas with natural colorings. This pink beet tortilla recipe is perfect for Valentine's Day. Or any day you want to make a statement with your favorite tacos!

Course Tortillas

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 37

Total Time 1 22

Servings tortillas

Equipment

tortilla press
Plastic liners for press
griddle/comal
small heart cookie cutter(for heart tortillas)

Ingredients

3 small beets, peeled
2 c Hot water
2 c masa harina for corn tortillas
1/2 tsp salt, optional

Instructions

Cover the peeled beets with 1 cup of water. Cover and cook in the microwave for 7 minutes. Transfer ingredients, including all of the liquid to the blender. Blend on medium until you have a thick looking mixture, Strain through a fine wire mesh strainer. To the strained beets, add enough hot water to yield 2 cups total.
In a glass bowl mix the 2 cups of masa harina with the salt. Pour in 1 cup of the reserved beet juice. Knead the masa for 1-2 minutes. Gradually mix in just enough of the remaining beet juice until the masa feels fully hydrated and resembles play dough. Roll a dough ball, then press your finger into the center. If there are no cracks around the edges, then the masa is fully hydrated. If it cracks, mix in a little more water. Cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the griddle/comal to medium heat for several minutes or until it is hot. It should not be smoking hot, lol!
When ready press the tortillas and carefully remove from the plastic. Lay away from you onto the preheated griddle. When the tortilla releases easily, about 15 seconds, flip it over. Let it cook for 30 seconds and then flip it over again. You should see the tortilla inflate in most spots. Let the tortilla cook for another 15 seconds. Transfer to a tortilla warmer. The stacked cooked tortillas will steam and become softer.
If they do not inflate, it may for several reasons. The comal may not be hot enough, you may have already overcooked it on the first side or the masa may not be hydrated enough.
This recipe yields 15-20 tortillas, depending on how big you roll the masa balls

Notes

Be My Valentine Tortillas: For this recipe, you will prepare the basic corn tortilla recipe. Use the recipe above, minus the beet juice. When ready, you will press one pink tortilla, then press one regular tortilla. Take a small heart shaped cookie cutter and cut a heart out from the center of each tortilla. Place the pink heart in the center open space of the white corn tortilla and then do the same with the white heart and pink tortilla. With the tortilla in the press, cover with plastic and gently press just enough for the masa to fuse together. Carefully remove the tortilla and cook as instructed.