Chalupas
© Denzil Green
Chalupas Recipe
Prep
Cook
Total
Chalupas means "little boats". They are made of cornmeal-dough, formed into little canoes, deep-fried and then filled with toppings of your choice. Very good. Here they are shown filled with refried beans, topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of minced fresh coriander leaf.
Instructions
Combine flour and salt, then rub the shortening in. Mix the egg into the water, then add to the flour and shortening mixture, mix well until dough is moist and will hold its shape. Chill.
Chalupas before filling© Denzil Green
Form into a long narrow strip, and cut into 18 to 20 pieces. Flatten each piece, using your thumb to make a depression in the middle and your fingers to make ridges all around the outside. In effect, they will look like canoes that a kid would have made out of clay.
Deep fry until crisp; fill with a filling such as guacamole, refried beans, etc.
Notes
You won't need to overwork this dough, but just as a note of interest, because masa harina doesn't have any gluten, like wheat flour does, you don't have to worry about it getting tough.
Courses Deep-Fried Foods; Savoury Fritters and Patties; Starters