← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 2 Dried ancho / guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 2 Dried guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 300 g Masa harina
• 1 tsp Salt
• 300 ml warm chilli soaking water, or as needed
• 150 g Queso fresco, crumbled
• 100 g Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheese, grated
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tomato, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chilli, finely chopped
• 250 ml oil, for frying
• ¼ Lettuce, shredded
• 120 ml Mexican crema or sour cream

Method

1. Toast the chillies in a dry pan for 20–30 seconds per side, then soak in very hot water for 15 min. Blend with 250 ml of the soaking water until completely smooth.
2. Mix the chilli purée into the masa harina with the salt, adding more warm water until you have a soft dough that doesn’t crack. Cover and rest for 10 min.
3. Mix the cheeses, onion, tomato and serrano for the filling.
4. Roll the dough into 12 balls and press each into a 12 cm tortilla between sheets of plastic. Cook on a hot dry comal for 30 seconds per side, just to set.
5. Place a spoonful of filling on half of each tortilla, fold over and press the edges firmly to seal.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the enchiladas in batches for 1–2 min per side, until crisp and spotted golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
7. Serve hot with shredded lettuce and a drizzle of crema.

Tips

• Keep the pressed tortillas under a cloth so they stay pliable; dry ones crack when folded.
• They can also be served softer: cook them a little longer on the comal and skip the frying.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Mexican Food Journal Isabel Eats Mexico in My Kitchen