Enchiladas are a dish highly appreciated by Mexicans, they are made with a corn-based tortilla. It commonly has a filling wrapped in a tortilla and is covered in some sauce. The color of the sauce is what gives the enchiladas their name. The Enchiladas red, Its sauce is made with tomato (tomato in other places) and ancho or guajillo chili. The green ones have, among other ingredients, the Mexican green tomato, which gives them a characteristic color.
In Mexico there are multiple variations of enchiladas, which differ in their fillings and sauces. The Red enchiladas They are frequently filled with chicken, pork, minced meat or cheese, among other things. And the sauce with which they are bathed is prepared with guajillo or ancho chili, tomato, epazote, achiote, among other condiments.
The color of the Red enchiladas It is provided above all by the guajillo chile used in the preparation of the sauce. In Mexico, this chile is frequently used, not only for the flavor it brings to the dish, but also for the beautiful color of the sauces made with this ingredient. However, red enchiladas can have significant variations in the preparation of the sauce in different parts of the country.
History of red enchiladas
All the Red enchiladas of Mexico originated in the civilizations existing in the country before the arrival of the Spanish invaders, which are mentioned as pre-Columbian civilizations. The word from Nahuatl “chillapitzalli” which means enchilada flute is mentioned in the Florentine codex.
On the other hand, it is important to note that there are records of the existence of chili in Mexico in the year 5000 BC, chili residues were found in Tehuacán. Currently, according to the information provided by some institutions, there are 64 types of chili in Mexico.
There are many types of enchiladas, among many others are mentioned: red, green, cream, mine, Swiss, potosina. In each region of the country there are all of them, but there is a favorite one, for example, the red ones are more appreciated in the center and in the north of the country.
The taste for spicy dishes in all Mexican towns begins at a very early age, even chili is added to sweets. There are those who claim that there are still undomesticated chiles in the country, there are wild ones with an exaggerated spiciness.
The love for enchiladas that Mexicans have has been passed from generation to generation, taking care of family customs, and strengthening their ties when they are prepared at meetings, to strengthen the family.
Red enchiladas recipe
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
150 gr aged cheese
50 gr guajillo type chiles
100 gr wide type chilies
18 tortillas
4 garlic
Carrots 3
3 potatoes
1 cebolla
Lard
Sal Island
Preparation
- Start by cooking chicken breasts, carrots, and potatoes in separate pots.
- Chop the onion and set aside.
- Grate the cheese and set aside.
- Shred the meat from the cooked chicken breasts and set aside. Cut the previously cooked potatoes and carrots into slices and set aside.
- Toast the chiles, remove the internal veins and submerge them in hot water until they are soft. Then they are drained and crushed together with the garlic and some salt.
- In a pot add approximately three tablespoons of lard, heat and fry the chile sauce, adding additional seasonings as desired.
- Then add the chicken broth to the sauce and continue cooking until it reaches the desired consistency.
- On the other hand, dip the tortillas with the chili sauce and fry them in very hot lard.
- Fill the tortillas with chicken, potatoes, carrots, grated cheese and chopped onion. Fold them approximately in half, bathe them with the sauce and place onion on top as a garnish and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Ready to taste. Enjoy!
- All the Red enchiladas It is a complete dish from a nutritional point of view. However, each family has particular customs for its accompaniment.
Tips for making red enchiladas
When in the preparation of Red enchiladas If you have to handle the chiles to devein them and remove the seeds before submerging them in water, I suggest that you wear gloves to prevent even your eyes from ending up enchilating later.
The ideal is to add enough chiles to the sauce without going overboard and thus avoid getting enchiladas when eating your red enchiladas.
When making red or other enchiladas, keep in mind that at the time of frying so that the enchiladas do not break, you must, in addition to moistening them in the corresponding sauce, fry them for a short time.
If the guajillo chili sauce is too hot for you, you have the option of reducing the heat by adding heavy cream, as is done in enchiladas called suizas.
Did you know ….?
- The taste for chili among Mexicans can be explained by the presence in chili peppers of an element called “capsaicin.” This element, in addition to producing itching, causes the secretion of endorphins in the brain of those who consume chili peppers, which create a well-being effect in the person.
- It is claimed that Swiss enchiladas owe their name to a Swiss man who ordered them with little spice in a restaurant in Mexico. They added milk or cream to the sauce, and gratin the cheese to tone down the spiciness of the enchilada.
- The state of Zacatecas is the largest producer and exporter of guajillo chili in Mexico.
- Guajillo chiles have a high nutritional value because they contain proteins, vitamins: A, B6 and C. They also contain “capsaicin” to which antimicrobial and fungicidal properties are attributed.
- The nutritional value of red enchiladas is enhanced by the nutritional value of the corn present in the tortillas, with the cheese, chicken and other components that are added according to the tastes of the region where they are made. It is a very complete food from a nutritional point of view.
