One of my top dishes EVER!
Hola! I’m back with another delicious vegetarian recipe from my childhood town! This is by far one of my favorite dishes in the world. I often tell people that there are many great places to eat Mexican Food in Mexico City, and I can give them names and addresses of most of my top ten spots, but to get to the #1 of that list, I have to personally take you and introduce you… because it’s my Mom’s. (Fun fact, her name is actually Carmen.)
Today I bring you one of my Mom’s top dishes: Battered Huauzontles.
source: cocinadelirante.com
What is Huauzontles?
Or how do you even say that? Let’s break it up:
Huau (pronounced like Wow, with an “a” more than an “o”)
Son (as in progeny)
Tle (Well… that’s a hard one to pronounce by non-native speakers… so just pronounce it as you read it I guess).
Now as to what it is. It’s a wild herb that grows only in the central area of México, mainly the Puebla State. Very similar to Amaranth or Quinoa. During prehispanic times it was one of the main crops the Mexica People would grow around the Anahuac Valley. In colonial times it was forbidden because the Spanish conquerors and their Catholic Priests thought this herb was used in Human Sacrifices, however being a wild plant it survived by itself in the wild.
source: elsoldemexico.com.mx
It’s considered a superfood because of the high content of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins it has, among a high concentration of flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, boosting our immune systems and helping prevent major diseases.
How to cook it?
First, you have to find it. Right? Fortunately, it’s widely sold in many markets all around the Mexican soil, so head to your local Mercado and ask your trusted local vendor.
source: elsoldemexico.com.mx
Next, clean them, and take the excess leaves away… now, some people here take all the small green flowers off of the main stems, Mom, the O.C. (Original Carmen) leaves the stems, and the experience of eating them is way more fun because you peel the flowers with your teeth. Yum.
This also makes you eat more natural fiber that will help your digestive system.
Ok, so what you’ll need for 4 servings of Huauzontles Capeados Carmen Style is:
- 2 cups of water
- salt
- 2 cups of clean Huauzontles
- 200 gr of Oaxaca Cheese
- 1/2 cup of flower
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- And a good salsa can be red, green, or even mole, it’s not supposed to be very spicy, or just homemade tomato sauce will do if you can’t handle some chile. Or even more than one, the key to this dish is to try it with different options.
Now let’s make some Wow-son-tles!
Step 1: Boil the water, add a pinch of salt. Once it boils add the clean Huauzontles and let them cook for about 10 mins, drain and let cool.
Step 2: Make sure you’ve eliminated all excess water from the herbs. Take about 1/2 cup of them and fill the bunch with a bit of Oaxaca cheese. Try to get the cheese completely covered by the little green balls.
Step 3: Flour your bundles. Churn the eggs, and batter the Huazontle Bundles.
Step 4: Heat the oil on a pan at medium fire, fry your bundles, and then dry the excess of fat with a paper towel. Let them cool (yes again, it’s worth it, so be cool and let them cool)
source: cookpad.com
Step 5: Heat your Salsa or Mole to a boiling point on a pot, once boiling bring the fire down to the lowest and then dip the bundles in the sauce, and leave them there for 5 to 8 minutes.
Step 6: My favorite part: ENJOY!
source: philadephia.com.mx
So there you got it this dish is so amazing its name even starts with a Wow! And just by itself gives you enough nutrients to be a full meal.
No wonder it’s one of my favorites, until next time my foodies
– Juan, son of Carmen.
