Mexican tetelas

One of my favourite Mexican recipes!

Tetelas are one of my favourite Mexican recipes: they are corn masa flour triangles stuffed with a variety of fillings, such as refried beans and cheese. They make the perfect balanced and filling lunch or dinner recipe and you only need two ingredients to make them.

Best part is that you can get creative with the fillings as well as toppings and you can add avocado, salsa, queso fresco or sour cream on top! Beans usually make the traditional filling although they can be stuffed with other ingredients such as mushrooms or meat.

Where are tetelas from?

They originate from the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, so don’t be surprised if you have never heard of them as they are mostly only consumed in this region. Like meany other Hispanic recipes such as pupusas, tortillas or empanadas they are masa harina cornflour as their main ingredient. What makes them special is their triangular shape, which gives a big surface area for the dough to cook and crisp up once you cook them. They are traditionally cooked in a comal, a smooth and flat griddle made of cast iron that adds additional flavour to the food being cooked.

What is masa harina?

It is nixtamalized corn flour which is dried corn cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution. This process makes the corn easier to digest as it makes the nutrients more readily available. You can find this at any Mexican grocery store or large supermarkets such as Whole Foods.

🌱Vegetarian

🍽️ 3 tetelas

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup masa harina (such as Manseca brand or alternatively Harina PAN if you cannot find masa harina)

• 1 1/2 cup water

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• Oil to fry (optional)

For the filling

• Shredded mozzarella cheese

• Refried beans

• Topping: cotija cheese, fresh coriander, crema

Method

• Mix the flour with the boiling water and quickly mix with a spoon. Then knead well with your hands to form a smooth dough. If the dough feels a little too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time. Cover the dough with some cling film and leave it to rest for 10 min

• Divide the dough into 3 equal-sized balls.

• Place one of the masa balls between the 2 sheets of cling film and gently press on your tortilla press (or under a flat dish/pan). The tortilla should measure about 15cm in diameter and be somewhat thin. If it is not thin enough you can use a rolling pin to flatten it out more.

• Remove the top cling film from the tortilla and spread about 1tbsp of the refried beans plus some mozzarella in the middle. With the help of the cling film at the bottom, fold over one side of the tortilla, then the second side, and finally flip over the third remaining side to close the tetela. It will look like a triangle. Repeat this process with the rest of dough to make 3 tetelas.

• Take a frying pan or comal, add 1 tbsp of oil and bring to medium high heat. Add the tetela to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip to cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove the tetela when you see that it is completely cooked and has acquired a golden brown colour. Transfer to a preheated oven at 100C to keep warm while you finish the rest of the tetelas.

• Serve the tetelas hot with your toppings of choice and enjoy!

FAQS and Tips

• You can make the dough in advance and tightly cover it with some cling film and store it in the fridge until ready to use.