INGREDIENTS

• TOPPINGS: or other spicey topping
  
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, with liquid
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup picante sauce
• FRY BREAD:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups oil for frying, or as needed

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, and mix until the dough comes together. Add more flour if necessary to be able to handle the dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a large, deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep. Break off 3/4 cup sized pieces of dough, and shape into round discs 1/4 inch in thickness, making a thinner depressed area in the center or just a hole. Fry breads in the hot oil until golden on both sides, turning only once. Drain on paper towels.
3. Top fry bread with beans, ground beef, lettuce and cheese. Spoon picante sauce over. You can also top with other of your favorite taco toppings, such as onion, sour cream or guacamole.
4. Marvelous. SO SIMPLE!  instant read thermometer was essential. Oil must be at 365 degrees to make a perfect texture. NO colder.
5. These are a really good twist on tacos with the fry bread.

Notes:

If you have any fry bread leftover try them with ice cream (unbelievable).

OR buy authentic Indian fry bread mix. Named”ha-pah-shu-TSE”…can be found at most large grocers.It’s already mixed,  just add a bit of warm water to the mix in a glass bowl,cover with a damp towel and place in a warm over or a warm spot for 2 or 3 hours. (makes the bread lighter and fluffy).Tear the dough into 4 seperate pieces and roll them out pencil thin before deep frying. YUM!!

Be sure to dust the dough ball with flour before handling and make sure to keep your surface dusted with flour and your hands too as long as you are patting out the dough.

The old way was to poke a hole in the middle. Indian women would turn the breads using a stick. My Grandma still did it that way! Try drizzling melted butter on the breads and spreading with Salal or wild huckleberry jam on them. A sprinkling of powdered sugar on top – so good!

2 Comments »

1. 

   Authentic Menxican gorditas are eaten stuffed inside the bread pocket (almost like a pita’s pocket).

   You should get a bag of Maseca, follow the recipe on the side of the bag to make tortillas. You need a ball of dough, slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Roll it in the palms of your hands, shaping it into a ball. Then flatten the dough between your hands till it’s about a quarter of an inch thick.

   On a hot griddle, cook the outside of the gorditas until they are browned slightly.
   Transfer the gorditas to a hot skillet with enough oil to fry one side at a time. Fry the bread until fully cooked, flipping once to cook the other side.

   Drain on paper towels. You will be able to cut one side of the gordita to fill them, or eat them as is.

   Comment by Ann LRD — January 8, 2009 @ 8:33 pm

2. 

   Old Fashioned

   4 cups flour

   2 tbsp. baking powder

   1 tsp. salt

   1/2 cup shortening

   1 cup warm water

   Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add in the shortening and water. Add only enough water to make dough stick together. Knead dough until smooth, make into fist-sized balls. Cover them with a towel for 10 minutes then pat them out into circles about the size of a pancake. Fry in hot cooking oil in cast iron skillet until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, serve with jam.

   Traditional

   1 pkg. dry yeast

   3 cups warm water

   1 tbsp. salt

   1 tbsp. sugar

   6 cups flour

   2 tbsp. oil

   1/2 cup cornmeal

   Dissolve yeast in warm water then add salt and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes covered with a towel. Add flour and oil to liquid mixture. Mix and put on floured bread board and knead until mixture is smooth. Put dough in a greased bowl, cover with towel and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from bowl and put on bread board, knead in the 1/2 cornmeal. Make dough into 2 balls rolling each into 12 inch circles 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 2 inch squares and drop into hot cooking oil. (Works best with cast iron skillet.) Fry 5 to 6 pieces at a time for only a few moments. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with white powdered sugar.

   Blackfeet

   4 cups flour

   1 Tbsp. powdered milk

   1 Tbsp. baking powder

   1 tsp. salt

   11/2 cups warm water

   Oil for frying

   Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. Add water. Knead until soft, then set aside for one hour. Shape into small balls. Flatten each ball into a circle with or rolling pin or by hand. Fry in a skillet half-full of oil until golden brown on both sides.

   Cherokee

   1 cup flour

   1/2 tsp. salt

   2 tsp. baking powder

   3/4 cup milk

   Mix ingredients adding more flour if necessary to make a stiff dough. Roll out the dough on a floured board till very thin. Cut into strips 2 X 3 inches and drop in hot cooking oil. Brown on both sides. Serve hot with honey.

   Chickasaw

   2 cups sifted flour

   1/2 tsp. salt

   4 tsp. baking powder

   1 egg

   1/2 cup warm milk

   Stir first three ingredients then stir in the beaten egg. Add milk to make the dough soft. Roll it out on floured bread board, knead lightly. Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into strips 2 X 3 inches and slit the center. Drop into hot cooking oil and brown on both sides. Serve hot.

   Pumpkin Fry Bread

   Add the following to the ingredients shown above to make Pumpkin Fry Bread

   2 cups fresh pumpkin or 1-16oz. can pumpkin
   1 tbsp. milk or water
   3/4 cups brown sugar
   1/4 tsp. cinnamon
   1/4 tsp. nutmeg
   1/4 tsp. vanilla

   Drop into hot cooking oil and brown on both sides. Serve hot with butter or powdered sugar.

   Creek

   2 cups flour

   1 cup buttermilk

   1 tbsp. baking powder

   1/4 tsp. salt

   Sift flour,salt and baking powder then add milk and more flour to make dough stiff. Roll out onto floured bread board and cut into 4 X 4 squares with a slit in the center. Fry in hot cooking oil until golden brown. Drain on plate with paper towels.

   Navajo #1

   *

   1 C flour
   *

   1 t baking powder
   *

   1/4 C powdered milk
   *

   1/4 t salt
   *

   warm water

   Combine the ingredients and slowly add enough warm water to form dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until it is smooth soft and not sticky. Cover and let rest 1 hour. Shape into small balls and pat into flat circles about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Set aside.

   In skillet, heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil. Brown dough circles on each side and drain on paper towels.

   Serve with chile beans and your favorite taco toppings for “Navajo Tacos.”

   Navajo #2

   3 cups unbleached flour, sifted

   1/2 cup dry powdered milk

   1 Tbs. baking powder

   1/2 tsp. salt

   1/2 cup warm water or milk

   2 quarts oil for deep frying

   Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and knead until smooth and soft, but not sticky. Depending on the altitude and humidity, you may need to adjust the liquid or the flour, so go slowly and balance accordingly. Be careful not to overwork the dough, or it will become tough and chewy. Brush a tablespoon of oil over the finished dough and allow it to rest 20 minutes to 2 hours in a bowl covered with a damp cloth. After the dough has rested, heat the oil in a broad, deep frying pan or kettle until it reaches a low boil (375º). Pull off egg-sized balls of dough and quickly roll, pull, and path them out into large, plate-sized rounds. They should be thin in the middle and about 1/4 inch thick at the edges. Carefully ease each piece of flattened dough into the hot, boiling oil, one at a time. Using a long-handled cooking fork or tongs, turn the dough one time. Allow about 2 minutes cooking time per side. When golden brown, lift from oil, shake gently to remove bulk of oil, and place on layered brown paper or paper towels to finish draining.

   Serve hot with honey, jelly, fine powdered sugar, wojape, or various meat toppings.

   Hint:
   The magic is in frying the bread quickly! The hotter the oil, the less time it takes to cook. The less time it takes to cook, the lighter the texture and lower the fat content.

   Osage

   4 cups all purpose flour

   2 tsp salt

   1 tbsp and a half baking powder

   1 tablespoon melted shortening

   2 cups warm milk

   Shortening for deep frying

   Sift flour, salt and baking powder into bowl. Stir in shortening and milk. Knead the dough into a ball. Roll out dough on lightly floured board. Cut into diamond shapes and slice a slit in the center.

   Heat shortening in deep fryer to 370 degrees. Fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

   Seminole

   2 cups flour

   3 tsp. baking powder

   1 tsp. salt

   1 cup milk

   Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk gradually making sure the dough is stiff. Put on floured bread board and pat it out with your hands until it is 1/2 inch thick. Cut into strips with a slit in the center. Fry in hot oil until both sides are golden brown.

   Comment by Ann LRD — January 8, 2009 @ 8:37 pm

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