Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Indian Tacos from the lil Indian Girl

Sorry to repost this on yet a third blog, but I really feel the need to contribute something here.


Before I start...let me say this. If you are on a diet, don't attempt. If you don't eat meat..don't attempt. If you avoid carbs...bye. If you don't eat beans...see you later. If you are watching your cholesterol level...keep blog hopping.


Now because I blogged my whole blog yesterday and it went poof in thin air...bear with me and try not to comment. I am blogging this is pieces. I also have to warn, I don't use measuring cups. I have some, but I just make my bread, tha way I do. So...this is very untraditonal for a very tradional recipe. Ok that was a lie, it's not traditional at all. Fry Bread was invented after Indians were forced on to reservations and were issued rations of flour, lard, etc. And the taco part, c'mon...not traditional. Just the most wonderful invention ever (besides Derek S. Jeter.)


OK Neddy, I will shut up and get on with it.


First this pic is everything you need for the bread part of the recipe. This is what makes the Indian in Indian taco.


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See how easy that was...I didn't have to write down anything.


Now this is everything you need for the Taco part. Note the avacado, not needed, I love them. The sour cream, black olives and hot sauce, are up to the eater. The 6 pack was just mine to make the experience more enjoyable. Also there was some game on at the time. I forget who was playing though.



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First off you mix half the bag of flour, 4 palmfuls of instant milk, 2 palmfuls of sugar (forgot that in the pic) and 2 pinches of salt. Mix it well then make a well in the center of the flour mix. I use the bottom of a glass to do this.


Next pour warm water in the well. I don't know what temperature, if you work with yeast you should know. I just know really warm not too hot. something you would bathe in. I added 2 and 1/2 coffee cups which 1 coffee cup equals 1 1/4 cup in your world...do the math.



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Next you mix 2 packet of yeast in the well of water. Stir this carfully as to not get any flour from the sides into this. I also put a capful of vegetable oil in this, a sort of FryBread Softener. Image Stir the yeast well. then you wait for it to activate.



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It took one whole inning of the baseball game for me to wait until the yeast activated. If you don't know how it looks activated just think of the foam on top of beer when it is poured in a glass. Next you mix in the flour slowly from around the side. There will not be enough water to make a good dough, so you have to add more warm water. this part always ends up different, every time i make it. So I add more water to make the mixture more sticky at first. When it gets to the point of being too sticky you can then add flour. Don't add too much, but just enough to make it look like this. (This pic was kneaded a little and put in a bowl that I coated with veggie oil.)



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Too much flour will not allow the dough to rise correctly so remember less is more. And yes your hand will be full of the dough. this is where the beer comes in. I watched about 5 and 1/2 innings of baseball before my dough was ready. I covered the above pic with a dish towel and put it in my oven (the oven was not on.) After 5/12 innings of baseball, it looked like this.



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You will need to add more flour as you knead this time. you can choose to let it rise again, i don't know what that does but my kids were hovering and I had to cook them. Now I rolled mine out pretty thin, because I trusted my dough. I knew they would fry up thicker. I don't know if you can see in the pic, but the dough looks bubbly, that is when you know you have good bread and it will fry thicker. I make mine plate size and will show a pic of one frying. Remember your shortening has to be hot before you start. As for how much let me show you a pic. It is alot, if you think it's gross then you never worked fast food.



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You will know it is hot enough when you throw a little flour in and it sizzles and disappears. Here is the bread frying...hence Fry Bread.



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I don't know how long you cook them, to about this color. the hamburger mixture was easy, brown it, add the taco seasoning and chili beans. My kids grandma soaks her beans all night and has them ready the next day...me I don't have time. I add two cans of chili beans.



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My sous chefs...uh I mean kids did all the slicing, dicing, and chopping.



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And Alas...there it is....The Infamous Indian Taco



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So not healthy for you...but your family will be nice to you, their bellies full, their faces shiny, greasy and happy!


It took me years to develop this recipe for the bread, a little of this woman's recipe, a little of my in-laws, a little of my aunt's. But Halleluah I got it right! So if your great grandma who was a Cherokee Princess didn't make it that way, fine stick to your own recipe!


Thank you and have a good day!

3 comments:

Barb said...

WOW - you really out did yourself there.. I was expecting North Americn Native bread - which I am now going to find and post.

Anonymous said...

hi, new to the site, thanks.

Melissa McHugh Lawson said...

Thank you so much Dana, my grade school bestie! Now I want to try again!!! Totally brings back memories! I miss you and South Dakota. Great! Now I'm hungry!!!! ;)