Juliana | November 3, 2015 | Food |

the simple tools for homemade corn tortillas

tortillas come from mexico, and chimichurri comes from argentina, so i realize the following isn’t a terribly authentic combination. but i had some parsley and cilantro to use up, and really wanted to crack open the bag of masa harina that’s been sitting on my “baking shelf” for a few months (i actually had to buy a wire shelf to store most of my flours, mixing bowls, and baking paraphernalia). so i took those liberties, and set to work.

masa dough is as simple to make as mixing water and corn flour together (i used two cups masa harina and 1 1/4 c + 2 tbsp warm water). it feels a bit like play-doh, and not at all like bread or chapati dough, because of the lack of gluten. it should hold together well and be neither dry nor sticky (next time i might add a tiny bit more water, even though they turned out pretty well for my first time). the smell is totally amazing! it made me dream of the day i will attempt tamales. it’s also a good idea to keep the dough covered with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.

then, pinch off about a golf ball-sized amount of masa, place it between two sheets of wax paper or plastic bags in your tortilla press (to keep the dough from sticking), and let the press do its magic. i picked this cast-iron press up from a local mercado for 14 dollars. they also come in wood varieties.

then cook them in a cast iron pan for about 30-60 seconds on each side, and keep them warm in a towel. serve them right away, or refrigerate them and reheat them later.

these are so much softer and more delicious than anything you’ll buy at the store. i didn’t really get into corn tortillas until recently, but i am glad i did! and now that i know they’re so easy to make, i’ll probably never buy them from the store again.

i marinated some chickpea tofu in chimichurri sauce and sauteed it. some pineapple salsa on top, and this was a delicious and simple meal for a warming spring day.