Natural Red And Green Corn Masa
No dyes for these colorful corn masa recipes. Tortillas, empanadas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tamales and more! Get creative!
Servings 2 pounds
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Green Corn Masa
- 3 oz Fresh Kale remove long stems, then weigh 3 oz
- 2 cups water
- 3 1/2-3 3/4 cups corn flour masa harina
Red Corn Masa
- 2 oz dried red chile guajillo pods stems and seeds removed
- 2 cups water plus more for softening chiles
- 3 1/2- 3 3/4 cups corn flour masa harina
Regular Masa
- 2 cups water I typically use warm water
- 1/3 tsp salt optional
- 3 cups corn flour masa harina
Instructions
Green Corn Masa
- After removing the thick stems from the ends of the kale( you can use spinach or other dark leafy greens), wash and tear into smaller pieces. Weigh out the 3 oz or you can wing it and add roughly 2-3 large leaves to the blender. Pour in 2 cups of cool water. Cover and blend on high until smooth.
- Pour in 2 cups of cool water. Cover and blend on high until smooth. I have a power blender and do not need to strain it. Pour the liquid only(discard foam on top) into a large bowl. I didn't do this in the video, but you can mix in a little salt(1/3 tsp).
- Gradually start to mix in 3 1/2 cups of the masa harina. You may use less or more than the quantities I listed. I loosely scoop the masa harina into a (one cup) measuring cup. It's not packed in there. This is why I stress to gradually mix the masa harina to the wet ingredients. Mix for a few minutes until the masa comes together. It should feel tacky, but not sticky when it's ready.
- If you are unsure, cover the masa with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. Come back to it and if it feels sticky, then mix in a little more masa harina. When ready, wrap the masa tightly in plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. Or you can store in refrigerator for a few days.
Red Corn Masa
- At medium heat, bring 4 cups of water to a simmer.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chile guajillo pods. If they look dusty, you can rinse them off under running water. Tear chiles into pieces and transfer to simmering water. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring the chiles now and then. Remove from heat when they look bright red.
- After a few minutes, drain the water from the chiles and transfer chiles to the blender. Pour in 2 cups of cool water. Cover and blend on high until very smooth. Again, I am using a power blender and I don't need to strain the chile sauce. Because it blends everything down, this will yield more volume(quantity) in the end. No waste.
- Pour chile sauce into a large bowl. Gradually start to mix in 3 1/2 cups of the masa harina until the dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and let masa sit for 30 minutes before using. Or store refrigerated for a few days.
Regular Masa
- Pour the water into a large bowl. Mix in the salt, if using. Stir to dissolve the salt.
- Gradually mix in the 3 cups of masa harina until the dough comes together. If any of the masa feels dry, mix in a little more water. Too sticky, mix in a little more masa harina. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes before using. Or store refrigerated for a few days.
Notes
I find it easier to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients when I mix my masa. I feel that this way, I will use just enough masa harina until dough comes together. Because if I pour in the 4 cups of masa harina in first, then I am committed to using all 4 cups, lol!
Each masa weighed in at about 2 pounds more or less. The red one weighed in slightly more because of the pulp of the chiles.