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Torta frita
Uruguayan rainy-day fried dough discs with a hole in the centre, sprinkled with sugar
In Uruguay, a grey rainy afternoon has one answer: torta frita and mate. These thin discs of dough, pierced with a hole in the middle, are fried until puffed and golden and either sprinkled with sugar or eaten plain, still hot, between sips passed around the circle. In Montevideo you'll smell them from street stalls on wet days; at home they're made with butter or beef fat, here with butter. Chef's tip: the hole in the middle isn't decoration; it lets the centre cook through at the same speed as the edges.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 ¾ oz butter and ¾ cup warm water and knead for 3–4 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Rest for 10 minutes.
4 minStep 2: Divide into 12 balls and roll each into a thin disc about 12 cm across and 3–4 mm thick. Poke a hole in the centre with your finger and stretch it to 1 cm.
Step 3: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a frying pan to 350°F over a medium-high heat. Fry 2–3 at a time for about 1 minute per side until puffed and golden. Common mistake: thick dough; it browns outside before the middle cooks and tastes doughy.
12 minStep 4: Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with 4 tbsp sugar while hot, or leave plain. Eat warm, with mate or hot chocolate.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does torta frita take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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