Enchiladas nicaragüenses

Ingredients

Filling

• 300 gcooked white rice
• 300 gminced beef
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 1green pepper, finely chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoontomato paste
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• salt and black pepper

Tortillas

• 10corn tortillas, soft and fresh
• or masa harina, to make your own
• 1egg, beaten, to seal

Cabbage salad

• half a cabbage, finely shredded
• 1tomato, chopped
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoonvinegar
• salt

To fry and serve

• oil, for deep frying
• grated hard cheese
• tomato salsa
• crema, optional

Directions

1. Warm them briefly before folding. That makes them pliable enough to work. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the chopped onion and green pepper. Cook them for about six minutes. Add the crushed garlic and the cumin.
2. Add the minced beef and break it up. Brown it thoroughly over a high heat. Stir the tomato paste in as well. Add the chopped tomatoes to it. Cook it down for about ten minutes. Season it well with salt and black pepper. Stir the cooked rice into the meat. Mix it through the meat thoroughly. Taste it and adjust the seasoning.
3. Cook it until it is dry rather than wet. Wet filling bursts the parcels in the oil. Let it cool completely before using it. Warm filling makes the tortilla tear. Heat a dry pan over a medium heat.
4. Warm each tortilla for twenty seconds a side. It should become soft and pliable. Wrap them in a cloth as you go. Work with them while they are still warm. Lay a warm tortilla flat on the board. Spoon filling onto one half of it. Leave a clear border around the edge. Do not overfill them at any point.
5. Brush the border with the beaten egg. Fold the tortilla over into a half moon. Press the edges together firmly. Seal them very carefully all round. Press the edge down with a fork. Chilling them helps considerably. Set the filled parcels on a tray. Refrigerate them for twenty minutes. Pour oil into a deep pan to eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.
6. Heat the oil to about 180C for frying. A scrap of tortilla should sizzle at once. Fry them for about three minutes a side. Turn them over as they colour. They should be golden and crisp. Hold the seal down with tongs if it opens. Lift them onto a wire rack to drain. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can.
7. Add the chopped fresh tomato to it. Squeeze the lime juice over it. Add the vinegar and the salt to it. Toss it thoroughly with your hands. Let it sit for twenty minutes. Serving them is done hot with salad on top.
8. Set the fried parcels on a plate. Pile the cabbage salad over them. Spoon tomato salsa over that as well. Grate hard cheese over the top. Add a spoonful of crema if you want. They must be eaten hot from the oil.

Technique

• These are nothing like Mexican enchiladas, which are rolled tortillas in chilli sauce, and the shared name causes constant confusion.
• Honduras also has enchiladas, but those are flat open-faced fried tortillas piled with toppings, where the Nicaraguan ones are sealed parcels fried whole.
• The rice mixed into the meat stretches it considerably and gives the filling its body, which is characteristic of the Nicaraguan version.

Substitutions

• Minced chicken or pork can replace the beef.
• Fresh soft tortillas are essential, since stale ones crack when folded.

Variations

• Some cooks make the tortillas from masa harina rather than buying them.
• A version with more rice and less meat is common and cheaper.
• Enchiladas hondurenas are the flat open-faced dish of the same name.

History

Nothing like the Mexican dish of the same name; these are deep-fried parcels sold at Nicaraguan roadside stands.

Frequently asked questions

What is Enchiladas nicaragüenses?

Enchiladas nicaragüenses is a street food from Nicaragua: tortilla pockets stuffed with seasoned rice and meat, fried and dressed with salad. Nothing like the Mexican dish of the same name; these are deep-fried parcels sold at Nicaraguan roadside stands.

How long does Enchiladas nicaragüenses take to make?

Enchiladas nicaragüenses takes 45 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 10 parcels. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Enchiladas nicaragüenses?

Yes, within limits. Minced chicken or pork can replace the beef. Fresh soft tortillas are essential, since stale ones crack when folded.

What is the most important thing to get right in Enchiladas nicaragüenses?

Cook it until it is dry rather than wet. Wet filling bursts the parcels in the oil. Let it cool completely before using it. Warm filling makes the tortilla tear. Heat a dry pan over a medium heat.