Tetelas. Corn Masa Pockets
After a bad restaurant experience last night, I was inspired to prepare some tasty Mexican food!! Today it was Tetelas filled with black beans, spicy salsa, crema and fresh garnishes!!
Servings 16 Tetelas
Ingredients
Masa
- 2 cups masa harina instant corn flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups warm water
- 2 -3 tablespoons oil grapeseed, olive...
Tomatillo Salsa
- 8 large tomatillos
- 10-12 chile de arbol
- 1-2 small cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- salt to taste
You will also need
- 1 1/2 cup refried beans(frijoles chinos) beans must be thick and not runny, see link
- 1/2 cup Queso cotija or fresco crumbled
- 1/2 cup Mexican Crema
- 1 Avocado sliced
- 1/2 cup Onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients for the masa. Gradually mix in the water until dough starts to form. Make 16 dough balls (golf-ball size), transfer onto plate and cover with plastic wrap.
- In a medium sauce pan, add the tomatillos and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook just until tomatillos turn from bright green to olive green. Toast the chile de arbol on preheated comal(griddle) until they become aromatic and you get some charring. Add them to the simmering tomatillos. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat a large skillet at heat just below medium for a few minutes. Line a tortilla press with plastic. Press masa balls out gently to about 4 inches in diameter. Spread 2 tablespoons of beans onto masa, leaving a 3/4 inch border all the way around. It took me a few tries to get the triangular shape just right. They are delicious either way.
- Now with the help of the plastic, bring in the sides equally to form a triangle, covering all the exposed beans. Gently press and remove from plastic.
- Cook on preheated pan 3-4 minutes per side or until they brown slightly. I cook with the lid on because this creates a little steam and helps the tetelas puff slightly and cook all the way through. Keep warm on a plate covered with a towel.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the salsa ingredients to the blender, add garlic, season with salt to taste and blend on high until smooth. Transfer to serving dish.
- Serve tetelas with fresh garnishes, crumbled cheese, crema, salsa and extra beans if you like.
Notes
Fillings with too much moisture don't work well for tetelas. You can prepare them ahead of time. Store refrigerated. When ready to serve, you can flash fry them in preheated oil.