Mexican gastronomy is part of a cultural model that covers farming, ancient cooking techniques, and all the way to customs and manners around the food we eat. Mexican cuisine is one of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, one of just 25 cuisines around the world. Traditional Mexican food is so rich within its territory and enriched by world influences. Food is one of the most important aspects of our culture.
At the base of it all, we have corn. -Despite the introduction of wheat and rice to Mexico, maize is the most commonly consumed starch in almost all areas of the country and serves as the main ingredient in many local recipes (e.g. maize tortillas, atole, pozole, menudo, tamal). While also eaten fresh, most maize is dried, nixtamalized and ground into a dough called masa. This dough is used both fresh and fermented to make a wide variety of dishes from drinks (atole, pozole, etc.) to tamales, sopes, and much more. However, the most common way to eat maize in Mexico is in the form of a tortilla, which accompanies almost every dish. Tortillas are made of maize in most of the country, but other regional versions exist, such as wheat in the north or plantain, yuca and wild greens in Oaxaca. More about this here.
Even when traditional Mexican food can be associated with lengthy processes and the use of sometimes unusual ingredients, the truth is that there are many staples that can be quite easy to make at home. This time, we want to talk about tetelas.
Tetelas are little pockets made with uncooked corn tortillas and filled with a variety of dishes such as beans, and cheese, to name the more traditional ones. These little pockets are then cooked and topped up with an even wider selection of toppings. Tetelas have their origins in the areas of Oaxaca and Puebla. The tetela, even when simple in appearance, is a dish that represents very well traditional Mexican cuisine: the use of nixtamalized corn to make the dough and the use of beans and cheese as fillings is a clear example of the base of our culinary traditions.
To make tetelas, you need only a few ingredients. Here’s an easy recipe to try at home.
Tetelas
-1 ½ cup corn flour
-1 ½ cup of warm water *more or less depending on texture
-1 tsp salt
Filling
-cheese such as mozzarella or cheddar, shredded
Toppings
-salsas, you can use ready-made such as these or we highly recommend our lovely Pasilla Salsa
-cream Fraiche
-avocado slices
1 In a bowl, mix the salt with the flour and add, little by little warm water. Work the dough for at least 10 minutes, adding water slowly until you achieve a soft dough. The right texture should be similar to play dough. The dough should come together and should not stick to your hands and bowl.
2 Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rest for half an hour.
3 Divide the dough into 6 or 8 balls. Place one dough ball onto the tortilla press such as this one and in between two plastic sheets. Press just once as if you were making tortillas.
4 Remove the top plastic and to the centre of the disc, add about a tablespoon of refried beans and cheese.
5 Close the tetelas with the help of the bottom plastic sheet. Bring one side over, then the other two sides to create a triangle.
6 Using a comal or non-stick pan set to medium-high heat, place the tetela and cook for about 4 minutes on each side until very lightly toasted. Continue with the rest of the tetelas.
7 Serve with your favourite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Tetelas can also be fried. Traditionally, tetelas are fried in lard to achieve a beautiful crispy outside and more flavour.
- The right dough consistency to make tetelas can be difficult to achieve if you have never made tortillas before. Working the dough for plenty of time until the dough is soft and doesn’t stick to your hands is key.
- Tetelas can be filled with any kind of filling such as chicken, vegetables, or beef. Think of them as pocket quesadillas.
- Tetelas can be made even more special by pressing different ingredients such as leaves, spices or as we did, edible marigold petals. These additions are just visual and do not necessarily affect the flavour of the tetelas.
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