Oaxacan Holiday Tetelas Recipe

Holidays this year are all about staying home, safe and cozy.  Whether you are alone or with a small group, what better way to brighten up the days than whipping up delicious meals? Add a little Oaxacan flare to your quiet festivities this year with triangle-shaped tetelas, a fun and tasty finger food. 

This is a simple recipe with minimal ingredients and can be altered to fit any dietary needs.  

This corn masa (dough) snack is traditionally filled with cheese and beans. We decided to mix it up a bit and stuff them with sautéed mushrooms and cheese--our favorite! This is a super adaptable recipe and the filling options are just about endless. We highly recommend using a tortilla press, it makes the process so much easier. We guarantee you’ll be hooked and will want to make more!

Ingredients:

4 cups of Masa-Harina (corn meal flour) 

2 1/2 cups of warm water 

Mushrooms 

Queso Fresco crumble 

Salsa 

Lime (for garnish)

What you’ll need:

2 plastic sheets, or parchment paper 

Tortilla press or a glass pie dish 

Griddle or large frying pan

Cook time: 

15 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking

Servings: 

8 (these are best served hot and fresh, so if you need fewer, alter the recipe accordingly)

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the Masa-Harina together with the warm water and knead until it becomes a dough. The texture of the dough needs to be sticky and not crumble under your hands.
2. Divide the dough into 16 equal size balls and cover them with a wet towel to retain the moisture. The dough dries out easily!
3. Sauté the mushrooms, or your filling of choice
4. Heat the griddle under medium-high heat. Place a masa ball in between the two plastic pieces (or parchment paper) and press using your tortilla press, (or glass pan) until you have a thin tortilla, about 6 inches in diameter.
5. Places a small pile of mushrooms and queso fresco, about 1 tablespoon each, in the center of the tortilla and using the bottom of the plastic sheet fold the tortilla up and over the fillings, next using the plastic again fold over the next side, and then the last side to close to tetela into a triangle shape. 
6. Place a little pressure over the seams of the tetela to seal.
7. Remove from the plastic and place on the oiled griddle, about 3 minutes each side or until they have a nice brown crust. Remove from heat.
8. To serve add Queso Fresco crumble to the top with a side of limes and salsa!

Best served hot. Have a safe and happy holiday! 

Photos and Recipe from MZ intern Jaqueline Gentner