Navajo Fry Bread and Navajo Tacos
Today I made Navajo Fry Bread and Navajo Tacos. The fry bread is really really easy - and cheap. Very cheap.
To make 8 pieces of fry bread:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 t salt
1 cup water
Mix together with your hands, getting all of the flour into the mix, but don't knead it - it will make it tough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes. Divide into half, then divide each half into half, etc til you get 8 pieces. Roll lightly into balls with your hands, and flour the outside.
On a lightly floured board, pat ball flat and roll out no more than 1/4" thick. About like a fajita size flour tortilla - or a salad plate. Make sure both sides have a light flouring so they won't stick to anything. Roll the next - stack, repeat.
Heat an inch or so of oil in a cast iron skillet. When it gets hot enough to immediately start cooking a piece of dough and make it float, its the right temperature. Fry the fry breads one by one.
Drain on paper towels and also pat with paper towel if needed. They are pretty crispy when they come out, but they soften a little as they cool. If you need to keep them warm you can put them in the oven at 200 degrees.
At this point you could put sugar and cinnamon on them and they'd make a fairly convincing elephant ear. Or you can eat them like regular bread, with stew or bread and butter. Or you could do what I did and make Navajo Tacos.
This is shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, green chilies and bean and tvp taco filling (non veggies could use meat). Fold in half and eat.
To make 8 pieces of fry bread:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 t salt
1 cup water
Mix together with your hands, getting all of the flour into the mix, but don't knead it - it will make it tough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes. Divide into half, then divide each half into half, etc til you get 8 pieces. Roll lightly into balls with your hands, and flour the outside.
On a lightly floured board, pat ball flat and roll out no more than 1/4" thick. About like a fajita size flour tortilla - or a salad plate. Make sure both sides have a light flouring so they won't stick to anything. Roll the next - stack, repeat.
Heat an inch or so of oil in a cast iron skillet. When it gets hot enough to immediately start cooking a piece of dough and make it float, its the right temperature. Fry the fry breads one by one.
Drain on paper towels and also pat with paper towel if needed. They are pretty crispy when they come out, but they soften a little as they cool. If you need to keep them warm you can put them in the oven at 200 degrees.
At this point you could put sugar and cinnamon on them and they'd make a fairly convincing elephant ear. Or you can eat them like regular bread, with stew or bread and butter. Or you could do what I did and make Navajo Tacos.
This is shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, green chilies and bean and tvp taco filling (non veggies could use meat). Fold in half and eat.