The Mexican Pellizcadas

The Pellizcadas are part of the wide Mexican Sope family; all these recipes are similar and the dish is named differently depending on the size, shape and where in Mexico it is made. The sopes, pellizcadas and picadas are very closely related, just named differently depending where they are served; they are thick round nixtamalized corn flour appetizers with a little edge pinched upwards, shaping them slightly like a bowl to keep the toppings in place.



| Yield: 8 servings | Preparation: | Cooking: | Total time: | | by:

Recipe for vegetarian Pellizcadas

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. nixtamalized corn flour (Maseca)
* Canola oil for frying
* 1 lb. red tomatoes
* 2 serrano chiles
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/3 lb. Añejo or Panela cheese
* 1 onion
* 1 sprig of cilantro
* Sour cream
* 1 avocado (optional)
* Salt to taste

Preparation:

1) Make the red salsa first, by roasting the tomatoes in the oven, then blending them with the chiles, garlic and chopped cilantro; check seasoning and add more salt if you want. Pour this salsa in a pot and simmer over low heat while we will execute the next instructions.

2) Pour the corn flour to a large bowl; add lukewarm water gradually until dough is manageable. Add salt while kneading.

3) Take a piece of dough and roll it like a ball, gradually flatten with a tortilla press (or you can press the lid from a pyrex container against a flat surface with waxed paper, if it has no knob on top!) to make smaller and thicker tortilla shapes.

4) Using a comal or griddle cook the tortillas, cooking both sides until the dough is cooked enough to hold together, then take out and pinch the edge to form the rim to keep the pellizcada's topping on. Make them one by one and stack on an empty plate.

5) Fry the pellizcadas in a skillet with half inch hot oil, and remove them when they are slightly browned on both sides; they are now ready to be filled!

6) Pour some salsa over the pellizcadas, sprinkle a few chopped onion bits, some crumbled cheese, sour cream and avocado slices.




easy mexican recipes