Homemade Flour Tortilla...

I have developed a taste for Mexican food during my four year stay in Texas. I still remember the very first fajita I had and it was love at first bite. Gradually I learnt different Mexican recipes and tried them in my kitchen. Tortilla is an essential part of Mexican food. It is a flat thin and round bread, very similar to our Indian roti or chapati. Tortillas can be made from both corn flour and wheat flour.



The history of tortilla dates back to 10,000 BC. Tortillas were an important part of the Aztec diet. When Spanish people came to Mexico during 1519, they found this round bread made from maize, they named it tortilla(little round bread). Traditionally a special kind of corn flour (masa) is used to make tortillas. With the influence of the Europeans wheat flour is also used to make tortillas and are very popular. Tortillas can be of different sizes, ranging from a diameter of 6 inches to 30 inches depending on the dish for which it is intended. Tortilla is a basic building block of several delicious dishes, taco, burrito, tortilla chips, quesadilla are few to name.

Making tortilla at home is very easy. It needs only few ingredients, flour, salt, baking powder, oil and water. Traditionally vegetable lard is used to make tortillas, but at home I use olive oil. You can use vegetable oil also. The steps are very simple, I have tried explain it with pics. Start with mixing the flour, salt and baking powder, then add the olive oil and mix well with the flour mixture.

Then gradually add water and pile up into a dough. Make sure the water is warm, not hot. I usually warm the water in microwave oven for 12 sec. Make a round smooth dough.

Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 min. After 15 min, knead the dough lightly and make 12 equal sized dough balls.

Dust the working surface with little flour and roll the dough into a 6 inch round thin flat disc. I mostly fail to make a perfect round, never mind.

Preheat a flat pan or skillet, place the rolled tortilla into the hot skillet and cook till bubbles start to appear.

Flip the tortilla and cook till golden brown spots appear. Remove from the skillet and store in a closed container.

Your tortillas are ready, use them to make a simple wrap or as a thin crust pizza base or for something Mexican like taco, burrito etc, options are endless.

Things needed to make Flour Tortilla:

(Yields 12 tortillas)

• All purpose flour: 2 cups
• Baking powder: 1 tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Olive oil: 3 tbsp
• Warm water: 2/3 cup
• Flour to dust

Steps of Making Flour Torlilla:

1. In a bowl take flour, salt and baking powder, mix well. Add oil and mix thoroughly to well incorporate with the flour.

2. Gradually add warm water and make a soft dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 min.

3. After 15 min, knead the dough lightly and make 12 dough balls.

4. Dust the working surface with little flour and with the help of a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into flat rounds (about 6 inch in diameter).

5. Preheat a heavy bottom flat pan or skillet over medium high heat, place the rolled tortilla into the pan, wait till bubbles starts to form. Flip and cook till small golden brown spots appear. Remove from the skillet and store in a container with lid. Continue with other dough balls.

6. To store the tortilla, let them cool down completely, put them in a zip-lock bag and store in refrigerator.

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