Fresh home made corn tortillas transcend the ho hum in any meal. Press a simple taco, or hand-mold a traditional papusa filled with melty gooey oaxaca cheese. Top it all off with a spicy heap of curtido for a flavorful platter that satisfies and excites the palate.
Corn Nixtamal
Ingredients
- 454g (1 lb) White Corn, Dried
- 1500g (6 cups) Water, For Boiling
- 8g (1 tbsp) Calcium Hydroxide
- 5g (1 tsp) Salt
- 60g (2 oz) Water
- 250g (1/2 lb) Oaxaca Cheese or Salted Low Moisture Mozzarella (for Pupusas)
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Sauce Pan
- Food Processor
- Rubber Spatula
- Tortilla Press
Timing
Active Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 24 Hours
Yield
1 ½ lb Nixtamal
24 Tortillas
12 Pupusas
-
Prepare Corn
In a heavy bottom sauce pot bring the corn and water to a boil for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the calcium hydroxide.
Stir the calcium into the corn. The corn with change color from white to bright orange.
Let the corn soak overnight in the pot at room temperature.
-
Strain, Rinse, Remove Corn Hulls
Strain the corn and rinse it well.
Rub the corn together or against the side of a strainer until the hulls come off.
Rinse the corn periodically until the majority of the hulls have been removed.
-
Food Process Corn Kernels
Place the cleaned corn kernels in a food processor and pulse until it creates a coarse cornmeal.
Add water and salt to the food processor and blend until smooth. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
Allow the nixtamal to chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before use, or for up to 7 days.
Tortillas
-
Create Tortillas
Measure 25 grams of nixtamal, roll it into a ball and place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
Press the ball into a tortilla about 1/8th of an inch thick using a tortilla press.
Remove one sheet of parchment paper and place face down into a dry hot sauté pan, then remove the other piece of parchment paper.
Cook on each side for 1 minute.
-
Serve and Store
Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Pupusas
-
Create Pupusas
Measure out two 25g balls of nixtamal.
Place one in your palm and flatten it out to a 2 ½ inch disk, place the cheese in the center and place the other ball of nixtamal on top.
Flatten the second ball to cover the cheese completely.
In a saute pan over high heat, add a small amount of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Place the pupusas and cook for 2-3 minutes perside or until it has browned on both sides.
-
Serve
Best served immediately with curtido.
Simple Fermented Curtido
Ingredients
- 1000g (2 lb) Green Cabbage
- 1500g (6 cups) Carrot, Sliced into Coins
- 5g (1 tbsp) Oregano, Fresh Chopped
- 1 small Onion
- 30g (2 tbsp) Salt
- 14g (2 tbsp) Red Chili Flakes
Equipment
- Sanitized Mason Jar
- Kraut Source Lid
Timing
Active Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 2 Weeks
Yield
1 Quart
-
Mix Ingredients
Mix together the cabbage, carrots, onions, oregano, salt, and chili flakes.
Place the mixture in a sanitized mason jar. Weight the contents down and cover the jar with a Kraut Source lid.
-
Fermentation
Allow the mixture to ferment for 2 weeks at room temperature.
There should be no signs of mold or yeast, if you do see these, discard immediately.
Summary
Recipe Name
Authentic Corn Nixtamal Tortillas and Papusa and Simple Fermented Curtido
Author Name
Modernist Pantry
Published On
Preparation Time
Total Time
Average Rating
Based on 3 Review(s)
1 comment
May 21, 2019 9:56 am
[…] Recipe Links:Nixtamal Corn Tortillas and Pupusas with Curtido […]