Homemade Nicaraguan Tortillas

My best friend Cassidy just got back from a service trip in Nicaragua, and while she was there some of her friends taught her to make Nicaraguan tortillas. Being a great friend, she taught me how to make Nicaraguan tortillas as soon as she got back to the States. Each country has their own tortilla style, so this is the distinctly Nicaraguan way to make them.
The recipe is simple: mesa (corn flour) and water. I served these as a side with yummy buffalo chili, but you can serve them in any way your taste buds desire.

Total time: 15-20 minutes. Makes 8 six inch tortillas.

Ingredients:
1 C mesa flour
2/3 C cold water
Less than a tablespoon of canola oil

Slowly add the water into the flour. You want to mix it in thoroughly to create a nice, soft dough. If you need to add more water to get the right consistency, go ahead and do it.

Place a skillet or griddle over high heat. Let it get nice and hot while you form your first tortilla.

When your dough is ready, place a quart sized plastic bag on the counter. You'll want to keep a dish of water nearby so that you can keep your hands damp while you are forming the tortillas.

Grab a lump of the dough. It should be about the size of an extra large egg. Roll it into a ball and then flatten it, like this:

 Once it's flattened, place it in the middle of the plastic bag and start working the edges out. The trick is to use your fingers on one hand to nudge the dough into a wider and flatter circle while using the other hand to cup the edge. The hand that cups the edge of the dough ensures that the tortilla will come out nice and round. See how both hands have a special role to play?

As you continue to work the dough into a larger and flatter circle you can start to use your palm to flatten the dough too.

 

In the end you want the dough to be somewhere between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

 When you have the tortilla looking the way you want it, spread your fingers and press down lightly all over the tortilla to create little ridges all over the surface. This texture is important because helps you to flip the tortilla more easily when it's cooking.

 Pour just a tiny amount of canola oil onto your griddle and spread it around. You want just barely enough oil to cover the surface where the tortilla will be cooking. Peel the tortilla off the plastic...

 

...and place the tortilla face down on the griddle.

Let it cook for a minute or two. It's okay to peak at it intermittently. You want the surface to brown where the ridges are. Once it's a little browned, flip it. When that side starts to brown too it's done!

Repeat the process to continue making more tortillas. Yum, yum, yum!

 

Adam’s taste rating: 3 ladles
Alina's taste rating: 4 ladles
Healthy rating: 4 ladles
Ease of prep rating: 4 ladles
Overall average: 3.75 ladles