Blue Corn Masa Recipes

BLUE CORN MASA

Steps:

• First of all, make sure that the corn is clean of any debris or little rocks. Place corn in a colander under the water faucet and rinse. Shake a little to remove any excess water.
• Place corn into a non-corrosive pot. Add enough water to cover the corn. Some kernels will float, those are old or spoil kernels, discharge them.
• Dissolve 2 Tablespoons of Cal (Calcium Hydroxide) in 1/2 cup of water. Stir well.
• Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. When the water starts boiling, add the Cal and water mix. The corn will turn a bright yellow color.
• Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. After 15 minutes, check the corn and rub a few grains between your fingers. If you see a fine skin peeling from them, then they're ready. Turn down the heat and remove from stove. If after 15 minutes your corn skins are not peeling, keep cooking for 5 more minutes and check again.
• Cover the pot with a lid and let it rest overnight or for at least 8 hours.
• The next day, the corn and its residue will be settling at the bottom of the pot, and the skins will be easily removed when rubbing some kernels with your fingers.
• Remove the liquid, reserving some of it to add to the grinding process.(also known as "nejayote") and rinse the corn two or three times, rubbing off the loose skin, until the water looks clean. Place in a colander to drain well.
• The corn is now ready for the grinder. Start grinding the corn in small batches twice or three times until it has a fine texture. The picture at the bottom right is how it will look after the first grinding. The corn grinder has to be tightly fitted to a stable surface to make this step as fast and smooth as possible. The corn grinder was meant to be screwed up to a working area where it will always reside.
• After you've ground the corn 2 times, add some of the cooking water little by little to form the dough-masa. Knead a little until your dough is smooth. This dough will still be grainy, but good enough to make tortillas or any other food you plan to cook with it. Sometimes, I grind the corn and don't add water, then I place it in plastic bags to store in the freezer. When ready to use, just let it sit until room temperature and then add the water to form the dough. To extend the life of the masa add a pinch of cal while grinding the corn.
• (OPTIONAL). I know it will be hard for many to get a hold of a Metate, so this step is just in case you have one and want to have a finer texture in your masa dough. Place a small amount of the dough on the top part of the metate with the help of the "mano" (hand of the metate). Press down on the dough from side to side (from the top part to the bottom part), passing a small amount of dough to the other side every time you press it down. This is done in a rhythmical movement, with your hands holding tightly onto the metate hand and pressing back and fort until all the dough that was at the top now is at the bottom part of the metate. The difference of giving the final grinding to the corn dough with the metate can be seen in the picture below.

BLUE CORNMEAL MUFFINS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Grease bottoms only of 14 medium muffin cups with shortening, or line with paper baking cups. In large bowl, mix all ingredients with spoon; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Fill muffin cups about 7/8 full.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm.

BLUE CORN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
• Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Sift 3 times.
• Stir the eggs and milk into the cornmeal mixture. Place the butter in the prepared baking dish, and melt in the preheated oven. Mix hot, melted butter into the cornmeal mixture. Transfer cornmeal mixture to the prepared baking dish.
• Bake on center rack in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges of the cornbread pull away from the sides of the dish, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

BLUE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the masa harina and warm water in a bowl and stir until mostly incorporated. Then use your fingers to bring it all into one uniform ball of dough.
• Break the dough into 8 golf-ball sized balls.
• Place a ball of dough between two sheets of plastic and press with a tortilla press or heavy casserole dish into a circle, about ⅛" thick. (See notes below for more detail). Peel back the plastic carefully.
• Heat a large flat pan on high heat on the stove top. When hot, place a tortilla in the center and cook for about 3 minutes, until browned spots form on the underside. After flipping, a bubble might form in the middle of the tortilla. This is fine. Don't puncture it. Once the bubble flattens, remove from heat and set on a plate to cool.
• Form a stack of the tortillas as they get made. This will help them steam and soften.

HOW TO MAKE FRESH BLUE CORN TORTILLAS AT HOME

Steps:

• Mix the blue corn flour and warm water for about 4 minutes. I mixed by hand.
• Divide the dough into 16 small-sized portions, about golf ball size.
• Press into 6 inch (15 cm) round shapes using a tortilla press lined with wax paper, or use hands to flatten out the dough without the wax paper.
• Place on a griddle, pre-heated to a high temperature. Let cook for about 20 seconds and flip. Cook for a further 20 to 30 seconds. Additional flipping may be necessary to fully cook the tortillas depending on their thickness. I used a sandwich press and this worked well.
• Place the completed tortillas in an oven on low heat, covered to keep from drying while you cook the remaining tortillas. (You can use a tortilla server as well if you have one or a terracotta bowl.)

BLUE CORN PANCAKES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine blue corn masa, sugar, and salt and stir. Add in boiling water and mix well. Cover with a towel and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, and melted butter, stirring well until fully incorporated. Add to masa mix and stir.
• In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Slowly add to masa mix, and stir until just incorporated. Add more milk if the batter is too thick.
• Add a tablespoon of butter to a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Cook until the sides of the pancakes are covered with bubbles, then flip and repeat until the other side is golden brown.Note: these pancakes take a little longer to cook than regular pancakes, so cook an additional 30 seconds if necessary.Serve with maple syrup and toasted pinon nuts, if desired.

BLUE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Cut a ziploc bag open along the sides. Open the tortilla press and lay the opened bag on top and bottom.
• In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina and salt. Pour in the water and stir to combine.
• Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl for 1-2 minutes, or until it is smooth and no longer sticky. If you have time, let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Pinch off some dough to form a golf ball size ball. You should get about 18-20.
• Place 1 ball between the cut ziploc and press down until the dough has spread about 6 inches and 1/8 inch thick.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add freshly pressed tortilla and cook for about 1 minute before flipping and cooking another minute.
• Stack the tortillas in a clean kitchen towel so they seam and finish cooking. Repeat with remaining dough.

BLUE CORN MUTTON TAMALES

Steps:

• To make the filling, combine meat, garlic, onion, and coriander in a large pot. Add water to cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add red chili powder and salt, to taste. Gradually add white cornmeal and stir, until filling is about the same consistency as "runny oatmeal." Remove from the heat and let sit while you make the masa.
• Mix the cornmeal and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the water and oil and mix. Masa must be a bit thicker than a pancake batter. Add small amounts of additional water and blue corn meal to achieve needed consistency.
• To assemble, lay corn husk out flat. Place masa inside middle of corn husk about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. (depending upon amount of filling used). Leave outer edges uncovered about 1-inch on each side. Place filling in center of Masa and fold in each side. Next fold the bottom upward.
• Place tamale in 2nd corn husk and repeat with tamale in opposite direction of first husk.
• Fold and tie with small strips of corn husks. Place in boiling water for 60 to 90 minutes.

MASA HARINA CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place the butter in a 9x9-inch square glass baking dish and put in the oven to melt. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.Measure out the milk and maple syrup in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Add eggs and whisk well with a fork. Gradually add melted butter to the milk mixture, making sure to leave 2 tablespoons in the bottom of the baking dish.Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until the flour is all moistened. Scrape the batter into the buttered baking dish and spread it out with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are beautifully golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

HEIRLOOM BLUE CORN MASA RECIPE : TLACOYO

Steps:

• Mix the masa and warm water with your hands or with a mixer until well-combined. The masa should be cohesive and not sticky to the touch. If the masa seems too dry, add a little more water. If masa seems too wet, add a little masa harina. Practice a few times and you'll be a seasoned tortillerx before you know it.
• Take ~28g of prepared masa and roll between your palms.
• Place masa between two pieces of plastic in your Masienda x Doña Rosa Tortilla Press and press lightly.
• You should end up with a flat round of masa onto which you can spread your beans or other preferred fillings. Fold into a half moon, pinch the seam and place face up in your press. Gently flatten into a tlacoyo, which resembles an oval or football shape, with pointed ends.
• Place on a hot comal or non-stick pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes each side. We use lard to cook them up crisp.
• Top until your heart is content.