Huaraches de Espinacas (Spinach Huaraches)

The first time I went to Mexico City I was blown away with amazing variety of street food. The creativity that people have there is incredible, I remember eating something different and new every day.

One of my favourite findings were these long slightly thick tortillas filled with refried beans and topped with lots of different things, my friend told me they were called “Huaraches” (sandals).

The first time I tried these delicious things was in the market in Coyoacan. I remember sitting down on a very busy stall trying to get the attention of anybody that work there, until my friend did it for me and asked for one of these. I was in shock of how big it was, I didn’t even know how to eat it, but my friend told me to just go for it, so I did and I gave it the first bite lifting the end of it, I love it!!

It kind of made sense to me that they are call Huaraches as they do look like a sandal. I like the fact that you can basically put anything you want on the top!

So this is my version of a huarache. I hope you like it.

Makes around 8 Huaraches

Ingredients

To make the masa

• 2 cups of nixtamalized corn flour
• Lukewarm water

To make the Refried Beans

• 2 cups of cooked black beans
• 1/4 white onion
• 1/2 garlic clove
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 rapseed oil

To make the Spinach topping

• A big bunch of fresh spinach
• 1/2 white onion
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1 tsp chipotle flakes (optional)

To garnish

• Slices of avocado
• Radishes thinly sliced
• Grated cotija or a tangy dry cheese
• Spicy salsa

Method

Place the flour in a big bowl and start adding the water in small quantities until the flour forms a moist dough. Continue mixing the dough until it has the consistency of play dough. Set aside.

Start making the beans. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and fry for three minutes. Then add the beans and season well. Once hot, mush them with a potato masher until very smooth. Set aside.

Then on a frying pan heat the oil for the spinach. Once hot add the chopped onion and fry for 3 min then add the spinach, season and add the chipotle flakes and coriander. Cook for three more minutes and set aside.

Then heat a big frying pan to make the Huaraches. It need high heat. Make a dough ball slightly bigger than a golf ball. Make it into an oval shape. Place it on a tortilla press and press slightly. It needs to be big and around 3 mm thick, then place 1tbsp of refried beans on the center, then wrap the beans with the dough and cover it with the plastic and press slightly. Keep the beans inside the dough.

After place the Huarache on the hot frying pan, cook for 30 sec on one side and turn it and then keep turning it every 30 sec to avoid the huarache to dry. It will be cooked after 5 min. Remember to low the heat of the pan if it is too hot to avoid burning it.

Then top it with spinach, slices of avocado, thinly sliced radishes, grated cheese and salsa. Enjoy them sitting around the table with your family!

*Note: you can make the huaraches first and then heat them before putting the topping.

Listo!

Provecho!