Corn Tortilla

Cuisine: Mexican

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Serves: 15

Legend has it that corn tortillas, which are now a household favorite, were first prepared by a peasant for a hungry Aztec King almost 12,000 years ago! Freshly-made corn or maize tortillas are gluten-free and packed with proteins, carbs, minerals, fiber and make for a wholesome and delicious meal. How to make these delightful tortillas? There are several recipes for corn tortillas, but here is a quick And easy one.

2 cups maize flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups warm water (as required)
1 teaspoon fine salt (sea salt is healthier)

A simply a-maize-ing and wholesome meal

In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Slowly add in the warm water, and knead until the dough forms a firm ball. Add water or flour, depending on whether the dough feels too crumbly or sticky.
Cover the dough with a moist kitchen towel and rest it aside for 30 minutes
Portion the dough and make golf ball-sized dough balls.
Roll them out into circles or press the dough balls out in a tortilla press
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, lay a tortilla on it. Flip after 40 seconds. Flip again.
If the tortilla appears to burn, the skillet is probably too hot. So, turn the heat down a bit.
Serve hot. Tortillas are versatile and can be eaten with any filling — meat, vegetables, proteins, legumes, or sauces.

Chef Tip: Although corn tortillas are soft, leftover tortillas can be fried to make tortilla chips or nachos. Cook tortillas only for 40-50 seconds. Overcooking will make them chewy. When reheating tortillas in a microwave or oven, wrap them in a damp paper towel to prevent them from cracking.

The healthy and easy-to-make tortillas are popular worldwide and in space too. Reports state that because tortillas are easy to store and eat, flour tortillas are one of the United States astronauts’ favorite foods. Well, time to get sifting, rolling, and cooking!

Quick Bites

Fun Fact

In Guatemala and Mexico, there are three colors of maize dough for making tortillas: white maize, yellow maize, and blue maize.

Historical Fact

The word tortilla was derived from Spanish “torta” meaning cake and “illa” meaning “little”, structuring it to “little cake".
The corn tortilla along with many variants has been a staple in North American and Meso-American cultures since pre-Columbian times.

Nutrition Fact

A single corn tortilla has 53 calories of which 6.2 are from fat. It contains 0.7g of total fat, 0mg of cholesterol, 11mg of sodium, 45mg of potassium, 11g of carbohydrates, and 1.4g of protein.
Corn tortillas have beneficiary fiber that absorbs water and prevents constipation. A diet rich in fiber also fights hemorrhoids and helps control diverticular diseases.