Vegetarian Chalupa – A Crispy Mexican Bread

A chalupa is a tostada platter in Mexican cuisine. Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of dough around the outside of a small mold or folding it like a taco and then deep frying to produce crisp, shallow cups. These are filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle pepper, red salsa, and green salsa etc..

This is the second recipe for first week BM, theme Tortilla based dishes.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Butter or oil
Water for kneading the dough
Oil for frying
Mold for making the chalupa

Method
For Making Dough

Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) together.

Add in oil and mix it thoroughly throughout the dough.

Knead the dough using water . Keep kneading till it all comes together and dough feels soft. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes to rest.

For Making Shells

Flour the work surface and shape the dough like a flattened cylinder. Cut it into equal parts.

Roll each part between both palms to make a ball. Roll out each ball using a rolling pin into a small disc.

Place the disc on the oiled mold and press it evenly, remove the excess flour from the top (see pic)

In the meantime heat oil over medium flame in a deep frying pan.

You can check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a little dough ball (of the size of a corn) in oil. If the dough ball rises immediately, the oil is ready. If it takes time, let the oil heat for a couple of minutes more.

Once the oil is ready, drop the mold in the oil.

The mold will rise up on the oil and will puff up. Let it fry till the mold will loosen side for 1 minute or two and the chalupa is crisp.

With a pair of tongs release the mold, pick up the chalupa and flip it to the other side till both sides are light golden and crispy. Repeat the process and make rest of the chalupas.

Ingredients for the filling

A can of Baked Bean
2 Cups of Sweet corns - boiled
2 Cups of Capsicum - cut into cubes
2 Cups Onions - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup Salsa Sauce
1 Cup Sour Cream
Cheese as required for topping
Lettuce leaves as required

Method

Open the can of baked beans and stir fry till the moisture dries, add the oregano and pepper to taste . Cool and keep aside.

To assemble

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

After everything’s prepared, all you need to do is stuff it in your fried shell.

In the chalupa place the lettuce leaves add the baked beans then add the onion on top, with some the capsicum, sweet corns, oregano and pepper powder to taste, sour cream, salsa sauce then sprinkle grated cheese.