Honduran Enchiladas

What they call enchiladas in Honduras we call tostadas. You would never guess the toppings that go on the tostasdas. I know I never would have. But when I found these very interesting enchiladas on the blog DaisyCooks I knew I had to try them. First, however, I had to adapt her recipe to my vegetarian kitchen.

Yesterday I posted our favorite Mexican enchiladas. I knew these Honduran enchiladas would be very different but I could not imagine how boiled potatoes, sweet plantain, raw cabbage and beans on a tostada would taste even if it had tomato sauce to bind it all together. I should have not have worried. I should have known that any recipe that has been handed down for generations has survived for a reason. All those ingredients that I would never dream of using in a single recipe do actually work very well together. We all enjoyed them very much.

This recipe has a lot of little things that need to be done simultaneously. But it is not really labor intensive. 

You will need

1 cup dry black beans or 1 can black beans

1 onion, divided

2 cloves garlic, divided

1 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced

1 roma tomato

1 tsp. cumin seeds

10 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/ tsp. brown sugar

2 small potatoes

1 ripe plantain (I used Columbian plantain)

1 cup Queso Cotijo, grated

1/4 cabbage

8 corn tortillas

4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

salt and pepper to taste

Soak the black beans overnight and pressure cook them the next day until tender. Skip this step if using canned beans. 

Dice the onion and garlic. Divide into 2. Reserve one half for the sauce. Chop the roma tomato.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic, tomato, serrano pepper and cumin seeds. Cook until tender about 5 minutes. Add the black beans and half cup water.

Continue cooking until the water evaporates. Cover and keep aside.

In a separate pan heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and add the reserved onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat until transparent. Add tomato sauce, paprika and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 3-5 minutes and turn off heat. Cover and keep aside.

Boil the potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. 

Cut the ends off the plantain and peel the skin off. Cut into 1/4th inch thick slices. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a separate pan and add the plantain to it. When brown flip it over and brown the other side.

When done drain on a paper towel.

Grate the Cotijo cheese.

Shred the cabbage. Take your time and make sure you cut it into really thin pieces.

You can either fry the tortilla in oil or you could brush them with oil and bake in a 400 F oven for 3-5 minutes. If you choose to fry them make sure you leave them in the oil for at least 30 seconds each side or until the tortilla is crisp and brownish in color.

To put it all together place a tortilla on a plate.

Add a layer of the bean mixture and place a couple of potatoes slices and plantain slices on it.

Now add the cabbage and the cheese. 

Top with the tomato sauce.

Enjoy!