AI-generated image
Chalupas poblanas
Fried tortillas with salsa
Puebla's little fried tortillas with red and green salsa, onion and cheese
On Sunday evenings in the old centre of Puebla, around the Barrio de San Francisco and the Paseo Bravo, stalls fry stacks of small, thin tortillas in shallow oil and paint them half red and half green with salsa. These are chalupas poblanas, sold by the half dozen on paper plates and eaten in a few bites. The Puebla version is usually topped with shredded pork; ours keeps the salsas, onion and cheese, which are the real flavour, and adds a few beans. The edges should be crisp, the middle still a little soft from the salsa. Cheese like queso fresco is often made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian fresh cheese if you prefer. Chef's tip: spoon the salsa on while the tortilla is still in the pan so it sizzles and soaks in.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the green salsa
- 4 tomatilloshusked
- 1 handful coriander
For the red salsa
For the chalupas
- 1 tsp saltdivided
- 16 small corn tortillasabout 10 cm, ideally thin
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 5 ½ oz refried beans (optional)warm
- ½ white onionfinely chopped
- 3 ½ oz queso frescocrumbled, or a vegetarian fresh cheese
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer 4 tomatillos and 1 serrano chilli in water for 8 minutes, until the tomatillos turn olive green. Drain and blend with 1 garlic clove, 1 handful coriander and half the 1 tsp salt until smooth.
10 minStep 2: Blend 2 ripe tomatoes, 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 garlic clove and the rest of the salt until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes in a small pan, until it darkens slightly.
6 minStep 3: Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat until a scrap of tortilla sizzles at once.
2 minStep 4: Fry 16 small corn tortillas 3–4 at a time for about 1 minute, until the edges crisp and turn golden but the centre still bends slightly. Spread a little 5 ½ oz refried beans on each if using.
8 minStep 5: While they are still in the pan, spoon red salsa over one half of each tortilla and green over the other. Let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Common mistake: adding so much salsa that it floods the oil and spits; a tablespoon each is enough.
Step 6: Lift onto a plate, scatter with ½ white onion and 3 ½ oz queso fresco and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chalupas poblanas take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of coriander?
- Flat-leaf parsley with a little mint.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Taiwanese grilled corn
At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.
Taiwanese
Masala khakhraCrisp roasted wheat crackers
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Indian
Lumpiang sariwaFresh vegetable spring rolls
Lumpiang sariwa ('fresh lumpia') is the unfried cousin of the crisp Filipino spring roll, served at fiestas, family gatherings and as a substantial afternoon merienda around Manila and the Tagalog provinces. A thin, soft egg crepe is wrapped around a lettuce leaf and a warm sauté of sweet potato, jicama, carrot, green beans, cabbage and tofu, then covered in a glossy brown garlic sauce and a shower of crushed peanuts. In Negros the filling is heart of palm (ubod) instead. It is eaten with a knife and fork, or carefully by hand. Chef's tip: make the crepes thin enough that you can almost see light through them; thick ones turn rubbery and hide the filling.
Filipino