Tostadas

Ingredients

Bases

• 12small corn tortillas
• neutral oil, for frying

Guacamol

• 3ripe avocados
• 1small onion, finely chopped
• 1tomato, deseeded and diced
• a handful of coriander
• juice of 2 limes
• salt

Black bean topping

• 400 gcooked black beans
• 1onion, chopped
• 2garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• salt

Salsa topping

• 500 gtomatoes
• 1onion, halved
• 2garlic cloves
• 1chilli, optional
• salt

To finish

• grated hard white cheese
• chopped parsley
• sliced onion
• salsa picante

Directions

1. Let them dry out on a rack for an hour if fresh. Frying them takes a few minutes. Pour oil into a pan to a depth of two centimetres. Heat the oil up to about 180C. It should bubble up immediately. Fry it for about a minute on each side. Press it down with tongs if it curls. It should turn golden and completely rigid.
2. Lift it onto a wire rack to drain. Salt it lightly while it is still hot. Fry all the rest the same way. They keep for a week in an airtight tin. Halve the avocados and scoop out the flesh. Mash it roughly with a large fork. Leave some texture rather than making it smooth. Add the chopped onion and tomato. Add the coriander and the lime juice.
3. Season it well with plenty of salt. Taste it and add more lime if it needs lifting. Cover the surface with film to stop it browning. Making the bean topping takes a few minutes. Fry the onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add the cooked black beans with a little of their liquid. Mash them as they heat with the back of a spoon.
4. Cook them down until they are thick. They should hold their shape on a tostada. Season them well with plenty of salt. Let them cool a little before serving. Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic on a dry comal.
5. Turn them until they are blistered and blackened in patches. Let them cool and peel the garlic. Blend or pound everything into a coarse salsa.
6. Add the chilli if you want heat. Season the salsa well with salt. Simmer it briefly to thicken it if it is watery. Let the salsa cool down completely. Assembling them is done to order. Spread one topping over each tostada. Go right to the edges but keep it thin. Scatter grated hard cheese over the top.
7. Add chopped parsley and a few onion slices. Serving them is done immediately. Arrange the three kinds together on a plate. Put salsa picante on the table. They must be eaten straight away. Set out the bases and toppings separately instead. Let people build their own at the table.

Technique

• The three-topping set of guacamol, black beans and tomato salsa is standard at Guatemalan tostada stalls.
• Parsley rather than coriander is the usual garnish, which distinguishes them from Mexican versions.

Substitutions

• Ready-made tostada bases are sold in Latin American shops and save the frying.
• Tinned black beans work well and need only frying down.

Variations

• Some stalls offer a fourth topping of shredded meat.
• A version with pickled beetroot appears in some places.
• Larger loaded tostadas are more common in Mexico than in Guatemala.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tostadas?

Tostadas is a street food from Guatemala: crisp tortillas topped with guacamole, beans, or salsa.

How long does Tostadas take to make?

Tostadas takes 30 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 12 tostadas. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Tostadas?

Yes, within limits. Ready-made tostada bases are sold in Latin American shops and save the frying. Tinned black beans work well and need only frying down.

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

Lift it onto a wire rack to drain. Salt it lightly while it is still hot. Fry all the rest the same way. They keep for a week in an airtight tin. Halve the avocados and scoop out the flesh. Mash it roughly with a large fork. Leave some texture rather than making it smooth. Add the chopped onion and tomato. Add the coriander and the lime juice.