Honduran Enchiladas
What Is So Special About Honduran Enchiladas?
A curious thing about Honduran food is that it has main ingredients and basic flavors very similar to the Mexican cuisine. Both gastronomies have very familiar dishes and some of them are called the same in both countries. However most of the recipes aren’t likewise and can produce a lot of confusion for unsuspecting tourists and ethnic restaurant attendees.
One huge example of this is a traditional Honduran food, enchilada. Honduran enchiladas appear and taste much like what many people call a tostada — a few foodstuffs piled on a fried corn tortilla. The recipe is not very time-consuming even though it seems so. If scrutinized closely, only meat will take more than a few minutes to prepare.
In Honduras, enchiladas look and taste very different from the Mexican version; they aren’t corn tortillas wrapped around a generous filling, but instead they are flat, fried, corn tortillas with piled ground beef, salad made of cabbage and tomato slices, a tomato sauce (frequently it is ketchup blended with butter and other spices), and crumbled cheese. Often concealed between the layers of shredded cabbage and meat are sliced boiled eggs, boiled and diced potatoes, and fried sweet plantains.
This is a dish that works well as a side or a main course – because it contains a variety of food ingredients: tortilla, meat, cheese, potatoes, vegetables, plantains and eggs. As for eating the enchiladas, forget the silverware and eat them is with your hands.
One last thing: don’t use lettuce. Lettuce is fine on its own, but it not acceptable anywhere near a taco or a tostada.
Steps to Prepare Honduran Enchiladas
- Prepare meat for marinating the night before
- Boil potatoes and eggs
- Shred dry cheese
- Finely shred cabbage
- Prepare the sauce
- Cook the meat
- Fry the plantains
- Fry the tortilla
- Put all together
- Put a spoon or two of meat on the fried tortilla. Next add potatoes, a slice of boiled egg, and few pieces of fried plantain
- Add a bit of finely shredded cabbage on top
- Cover liberally with queso seco (dry cheese)
- Drizzle the sauce over the top
- Enjoy trying to fit a bite into your mouth. Use fork to polish off what falls on the plate.
Voila! Honduran Enchiladas are ready. Enjoy responsibly :-).
