Mexican Garnachas
If you love crispy snacks, Mexican garnachas are a must-try! These fried corn cakes are topped with spicy red salsa, shredded jackfruit, and tangy cabbage slaw, creating a mouthwatering blend of flavors and textures.
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet or comal
- Stockpot
- Tortilla press
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Slaw
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 1 large jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Jackfruit
- 1 ¾ ounces dehydrated jackfruit
- 2 tablespoons vegetable stock powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small white onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tamari
Garnachas
- 2 cups masa harina
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups hot water
Salsa
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 3 Morita chiles, de-seeded
- ¼ white onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Extras
- ¼ - ⅓ cup refined coconut oil or vegetable shortening
- Guacamole
- Mexican crema
- Vegan queso fresco
Instructions
Slaw
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, and jalapenos. Season with vinegar, oil, and salt to taste. Transfer to your fridge until you're ready to serve.
Jackfruit
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in vegetable stock powder, a pinch of salt, and the dehydrated jackfruit. Let it sit covered for around 2 hours or overnight, then drain the liquid.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add in diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic for another 1-2 minutes. Lastly, add the jackfruit and tamari and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed, about 5-6 minutes.
Dough
- Add the masa harina and salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Pour in 1 ½ cups of very warm water to start and mix together using your hands.
- Knead the dough to form a ball that's sticky enough to stay together but not coming off on your hands. Add more dough or water to achieve a texture similar to play dough. Keep the dough covered.
- Break off pieces of dough to form small balls (about 30-35 grams). Add each one to a tortilla press lined with 2 pieces of plastic. Press gently to form tortillas slightly thicker than normal (about ¼-inch thick).
Cooking
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet or comal up to medium. Cook each tortilla for about 60 seconds on the first side until brown spots are forming.
- Flip and press down on the tortilla lightly until it puffs up, about 80-90 seconds. Remove from heat and keep warm in a towel while you cook the other tortillas.
Salsa
- Add the morita chiles, tomatoes, and onion to a medium saucepan of water. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until softened. Drain and transfer to a blender with the garlic cloves. Blend on high until smooth.
- Heat olive oil in the same saucepan over medium. Add the blended salsa back in and simmer for another 10 minutes until thickened to your liking.
Assemble
- Heat coconut oil or vegetable shortening in a large skillet over medium. In the meantime, add the shredded jackfruit to the garnachas.
- Cook the garnachas in batches, and add a spoonful of salsa on top of each one. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Transfer out of the pan to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Continue the same process until all of the garnachas are cooked. Serve them with a garnish of cabbage slaw, guacamole, crema, cotija, or queso fresco on top. Happy eating!
Notes
Dough consistency: The masa should be soft and pliable, similar to play dough, but not sticky. If it's too dry, add more water. If it's too sticky, add a little more masa harina.
Other pressing techniques: If you don't have a tortilla press, use the bottom of a flat baking dish or plate and follow the same process as the press.
Hydrate the jackfruit: Ensure the dehydrated jackfruit is well-hydrated and soft before cooking. This will help it absorb the flavors of the seasoning more effectively.
Preheat the skillet: A properly preheated comal or skillet is key to achieving those characteristic lightly charred spots on the tortillas and enhancing their flavor.
Keep warm: To keep your garnachas warm while you finish cooking, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. This will also help keep them soft and pliable.
The longer the slaw sits, the more flavors meld, so preparing this component first gives it enough time to marinate.
Keep the dough covered to prevent it from drying out. If it does start to dry out, knead in a little more water to restore its consistency.
Don't overcrowd the skillet, and press down on the tortillas gently to help them puff up. This step results in a crispy exterior and soft interior.
Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1garnacha | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 6.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.1g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 582.2mg | Potassium: 187.3mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 855.1IU | Vitamin C: 9.1mg | Calcium: 32.5mg | Iron: 1.3mg
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