Recipes
Bean Dobladas With Amaranth and Onions
These folded masa pockets are griddled until crisp and topped with a savory red salsa.
- Makes
15–18 dobladas
- Time
3 hours 45 minutes, plus overnight soak
Dobladas, literally “folded,” are small corn masa pockets, toasted on a comal and served as a snack or small meal. Chef Claudia Sántiz uses a common filling of mashed frijol botil, a large, flattish purple bean from Chiapas, also known as ayocote. If you can’t find them, any standard black beans will do. Fresh masa can be prepared from dried and nixtamalized field corn, or purchased from Mexican or Central American markets. Some retailers, including Tortilleria Nixtamal, offer shipping for online orders.
Featured in "Searching for Sopa de Chipilín" by Scarlett Lindeman in the Fall/Winter 2024 issue.
Ingredients
For the dobladas:
- ¾ cup dried frijol botil, soaked 8–12 hours and drained
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
- 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more
- ½ large white onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups amaranth leaves, rinsed, stems removed
- 1 lb. fresh corn masa
- Queso fresco, crumbled
- Mexican-style crema, or sour cream
For the salsa roja:
- 5 small tomatoes (1¼ lb.)
- 1 peeled and quartered medium white onion (8 oz.)
- 1 Tbsp. thyme leaves or cilantro
- 1 garlic clove
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the dobladas: In a large pot, cover the beans with 6 inches of water and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered until very soft, 2–3 hours. When the beans are tender, reserve a cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the rest.
Step 2
Meanwhile, make the salsa roja: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and onion and boil until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain using a colander, then transfer to a blender. Add thyme or cilantro and garlic and purée, 15–30 seconds, then season with salt to taste. Wipe the pot dry, return it to the stove, and turn the heat to medium. Add the vegetable oil, and when it’s hot and shimmering, add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling and reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
Step 3
To a small skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil, the onion, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the amaranth and cook, stirring continuously, until the leaves darken, 2–3 minutes. Set aside.
Step 4
In a blender, process the beans into a thick paste, adding just enough cooking liquid to get the blade moving. Season to taste with salt, then set aside.
Step 5
Place a comal or large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Brush with oil. Keep hot while forming the dobladas.
Step 6
Assemble the dobladas: Using your hands, roll the masa into smooth golf-ball-size balls, about 2 tablespoons each. In a tortilla press lined with plastic or parchment (or using a rolling pin and two sheets of plastic), gently press one ball into a 4– to 5–inch tortilla. Spread a tablespoon of the bean paste into the center, then fold the tortilla over the beans to form a half-moon shaped pocket, pressing and sealing the edges with your fingers. Repeat until you have three dobladas, then transfer them to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until the masa brightens in color and begins to brown in spots, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel as you continue forming the dobladas and cooking them in batches until all the masa has been used.
Step 7
Transfer the dobladas to a platter. Spoon the salsa roja on top, followed by the onion-amaranth mixture, queso fresco, and crema. Serve warm.
- Make the dobladas: In a large pot, cover the beans with 6 inches of water and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered until very soft, 2–3 hours. When the beans are tender, reserve a cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the rest.
- Meanwhile, make the salsa roja: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and onion and boil until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain using a colander, then transfer to a blender. Add thyme or cilantro and garlic and purée, 15–30 seconds, then season with salt to taste. Wipe the pot dry, return it to the stove, and turn the heat to medium. Add the vegetable oil, and when it’s hot and shimmering, add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling and reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
- To a small skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil, the onion, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the amaranth and cook, stirring continuously, until the leaves darken, 2–3 minutes. Set aside.
- In a blender, process the beans into a thick paste, adding just enough cooking liquid to get the blade moving. Season to taste with salt, then set aside.
- Place a comal or large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Brush with oil. Keep hot while forming the dobladas.
- Assemble the dobladas: Using your hands, roll the masa into smooth golf-ball-size balls, about 2 tablespoons each. In a tortilla press lined with plastic or parchment (or using a rolling pin and two sheets of plastic), gently press one ball into a 4– to 5–inch tortilla. Spread a tablespoon of the bean paste into the center, then fold the tortilla over the beans to form a half-moon shaped pocket, pressing and sealing the edges with your fingers. Repeat until you have three dobladas, then transfer them to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until the masa brightens in color and begins to brown in spots, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel as you continue forming the dobladas and cooking them in batches until all the masa has been used.
- Transfer the dobladas to a platter. Spoon the salsa roja on top, followed by the onion-amaranth mixture, queso fresco, and crema. Serve warm.
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