Molotes/Xalapan Molotes ~~ Xalapan Street Food

For this month's long marathon, i have cooked couple of dishes from various World cuisine starting with alphabets, today i was supposed to post a recipe from a Country name starts with 'X', since there is no country name starting with X, Srivalli suggested to cook from a city name starts with X from any Country. Immediately i started searching for a city and find out Xalapa which is a capital city of Veracruz state of Mexico. Xalapa is known very much for its large number of art galleries and theaters. Its well known for being home of great number of colleges of the University of Veracruz. This city is a land of mountains, one among the most charming Mexican capitals. Obviously this city is very much visited by tourists.Eating out in Xalapa, you are sure to find something from among the local delicacies to delight your palate. Typical dishes from around the state include chicken chileatole (a hot soup made with chilli, corn dough, and spices); molotes (snacks made from corn dough and mashed potato) and tamal de cazuela (stewed, local-style corn tamales).

There’s literally something for everyone in Xalapa. If you dont like to enjoy the traditional Mexican food in Xalapa, you can try local dishes with a modern twist at the elegant Casa de Mama (Mother’s House). For the spicy food lovers, there are jalapeño chillies stuffed with ground beef or seafood. Sunset brings with the irresistible flavors of traditional Xalapan desserts, usually enjoyed with a coffee. You can choose from jamoncillo, a dessert based on milk, unrefined sugar and pumpkin seeds, and candied fruit with piloncillo (molasses). Locals traditionally end their evenings with torito, a milk and sugar cane-based liquor flavored with cajeta (a toffee sauce made from goat’s milk), caramel, coconut, coffee or nuts.

I tried Molotes since this fried pies are famous street foods in Xalapa city.Molotes looks very much like empanadas, these golden pies stuffed with filling are rich in aromas from savory stuffing.  The fillings of Molotes can be some seasoned beef, chicken and pork or else various grated cheeses or different salsas.  Molotes are fresh tortilla dough stuffed with any kind of filling available.  They are then sealed into a half moon shaped and deep fried, creating a crispy, delicate and flaky crust.  These little hot pockets are then drizzled with salsa and creamy cheesy sauce. molotes are so addictive and absolutely delicious, but fried in oil so probably not good to be eaten every day. They are essentially made with  a tortilla,prepared with 1/2 of corn flour and 1/2 of flour with a little baking powder to make them light and some water to make the dough.I prepared my molotes with a simple potato filling and enjoyed munching some with ketchup and sweet chilly sauce.

Recipe Source: My Year of Mexican Food and Culture
1 cup Yellow corn flour (Masa Harina)
1 cup All-purpose flour
1tsp Baking powder
1/2 cup Warm water
Oil for frying

Filling:
2nos Potatoes (boiled)
1no Onion (diced)
3nos Dry red chillies (seeds removed)/Mexican dry poblano chillies
Salt
1/2tsp Oregano

Preparation of the filling:

Take the onion, dry red chillies, salt,oregano and potato in a food processor,mix everything as bit smooth thick paste, keep aside.

Making Molotes:

Combine the yellow corn flour/ masa harina, flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

Slowly add the water and mix until a dough forms.  The dough should be sticky, not dry.

Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Make small balls of the dough.

Grease a plastic sheet or a baking paper, take a ball and flatter them with your fingers a slightly thick round disc.

Place the filling in the center of the tortilla, then fold tortilla over, creating a half-moon/semi-circle shape.  Press the ends together with a fork to create a seal.

Pan fry in a small amount of oil.

The molote should be crisp and golden on all sides.

Serve with shredded lettuce, salsa verde or a drizzle of crema.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

An InLinkz Link-up