Dobladas

Ingredients

Tortillas

• 600 gmasa harina
• about 700 ml warm water
• 1 tspsalt
• or 12 fresh corn tortillas

Filling

• 400 gminced beef, or shredded chicken
• or 500 g potato, boiled and mashed
• 1onion, chopped
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tspground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbspoil

To fry

• oil, for shallow frying

To top

• tomato salsa
• finely shredded cabbage, dressed with vinegar
• chopped onion and parsley
• grated hard cheese
• crema

To serve

• from an evening comal stand, on a paper plate

Directions

1. Mix masa harina with warm water and salt into a soft dough, like modelling clay. It should be soft and smooth, and it should not crack at the edges when you press a ball flat. Let it rest for fifteen minutes, which lets the masa hydrate fully. Press balls of masa between two sheets of plastic, in a tortilla press or under a flat plate.
2. Press them fairly thin, since a thick tortilla is heavy once folded and fried. Cook them on a hot dry comal for about a minute a side. Cook them only partly through at this stage, since they will be fried afterwards. Now the filling, and the rule about it.
3. Cook the meat or potato with onion, garlic, tomato and cumin until completely dry. Cook off all the liquid, since a wet filling makes the tortilla soggy and the doblada opens in the oil.
4. Season it firmly, since the plain tortilla carries nothing. Let it cool before filling, which makes them far easier to handle. Put a spoonful of filling on one half of the warm tortilla and fold it over into a half-moon. Do not overfill, since an overfilled doblada cannot be sealed and spills into the pan.
5. Press the edges together firmly. Press the edge with your fingers or with a fork. A little masa paste or water along the edge helps them hold. Heat a few centimetres of oil to about 175°C. Shallow frying is enough and they do not need to be submerged. Fry them for two or three minutes a side until golden and crisp.
6. Turn them once, carefully, so they do not open. Do not crowd the pan, which drops the temperature and gives greasy dobladas. Drain them on a rack rather than paper. Grated hard dry cheese, queso seco or a similar aged white cheese, is scattered over.
7. Lay the hot dobladas on a plate, spoon the salsa over, pile the cabbage on and scatter the cheese. Add chopped onion, parsley and a little crema. Serve them immediately, since they soften under the salsa within minutes.

Technique

• In Guatemala an enchilada is a flat topped tortilla, not the Mexican dish.
• The filling must be completely dry or the doblada opens in the oil.
• Vinegared shredded cabbage over the top is essential, not a garnish.

Substitutions

• Shop-bought corn tortillas, warmed to make them pliable.
• Potato filling in place of meat.

Variations

• Filled with potato, which is the cheapest version.
• Filled with chicken or with beans.
• Made with a spicier salsa.

History

Sold from evening comal stands across the country, cheap enough to be a student and worker supper.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dobladas?

Dobladas is a street food from Guatemala: folded tortillas stuffed with meat or potato, fried and topped with salsa and cabbage. Sold from evening comal stands across the country, cheap enough to be a student and worker supper.

How long does Dobladas take to make?

Dobladas takes 40 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 dobladas. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Dobladas?

Yes, within limits. Shop-bought corn tortillas, warmed to make them pliable. Potato filling in place of meat.

What is the most important thing to get right in Dobladas?

Season it firmly, since the plain tortilla carries nothing. Let it cool before filling, which makes them far easier to handle. Put a spoonful of filling on one half of the warm tortilla and fold it over into a half-moon. Do not overfill, since an overfilled doblada cannot be sealed and spills into the pan.