Chickpea Dough Quesadillas Recipe

Chickpea dough quesadillas (quesadillas de masa de garbanzo)

Making quesadillas this way, with chickpea and masa dough, is a tradition in the mexican state of Sonora. The mashed chickpeas incorporated in the dough give these quesadillas a unique texture and taste… If you like quesadillas, here is one new recipe to try. The chickpea is used in many cuisines, namely mediterranean, indian and middle-eastern… it is considered a good source of iron. Chickpea happens to also be an important ingredient in the traditional Mexican cuisine.

Chickpea dough quesadillas

Ingredients

* 1 lb. dry chickpeas; you can also use canned equivalent
* 1 lb. corn tortilla masa
* 2 ancho chiles, seeded, soaked in hot water and drained
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Enough canola oil for frying
* 1/2 lb. queso añejo, grated or crumbled queso fresco
* 1 cup mexican style crema or sour cream (optional)

Preparation

1) Soak the chickpeas overnight; the next day discard the water they soaked in, then boil chickpeas in water, without salt, until tender.

2) When they are very tender, add salt and simmer a few more minutes, then drain in a strainer. Let them cool down then peel their skins off.

3) Leave the chiles in a bowl with hot water for 20 minutes; when tender slice their stems off and discard their seeds.

4) Mash the chickpeas with the prepared chilies, then mix this puree with the corn masa, add salt and pepper to taste.

5) We now start making the tortillas with this corn masa, they should be small and thin. Stuff them with cheese, then fold in two and fry in the hot oil until well browned.

Finally, place them on paper towels and serve accompanied with crema and chili sauce to taste.