Anenchilada (/ˌɛntʃɪˈlɑːdə/,Spanish:[entʃiˈlaða]) is aMexican dish consisting of acorn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with various ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or combinations. Enchilada sauces includechili-based sauces, such assalsa roja, variousmoles,tomato-based sauces, such assalsa verde, or cheese-based sauces, such aschile con queso.
Enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back at least toAztec times.[4] The people living in the lake region of theValley of Mexico traditionally ate corn tortillas folded or rolled around small fish. Writing at the time of the Spanish conquistadors,Bernal Díaz del Castillo documented a feast enjoyed by Europeans hosted byHernán Cortés inCoyoacán, which included foods served in corn tortillas. (Note that the nativeNahuatl name for the flat corn bread used wastlaxcalli; the Spanish gave it the nametortilla.)[5][6][7][8] TheNahuatl word for enchilada ischīllapītzalli[t͡ʃiːlːapiːˈt͡salːi], which is formed of the Nahuatl word for "chili",chīlli[ˈt͡ʃiːlːi] and the Nahuatl word for "flute",tlapītzalli[t͡ɬapiːˈt͡salːi].[9] In the 19th century, as Mexican cuisine was being memorialized, enchiladas were mentioned in the first Mexican cookbook,El cocinero mexicano ("The Mexican Chef"), published in 1831,[4] and in Mariano Galvan Rivera'sDiccionario de Cocina, published in 1845.[5][10]
In their original form as Mexican street food, enchiladas were simply corn tortillas dipped inchili sauce and eaten without fillings.[11][12] There are now many varieties, which are distinguished primarily by their sauces, fillings and, in one instance, by their form. Various adjectives may be used to describe the recipe content or origin, e.g.enchilada tapatia would be arecipe fromJalisco.[13]
Varieties include:
Enchiladas con chile rojo (with red chile) is a traditional red enchilada sauce, meat, composed of dried redchili peppers soaked and ground into a sauce with otherseasonings,Chile Colorado sauce adds atomato base.[14]
Enchiladas con mole, instead of chili sauce, are served withmole,[15] and are also known asenmoladas.[16]
Enchiladas placeras areMichoacán plaza-style, made with vegetables and poultry.[17]
Enchiladas poblanas are soft corn tortillas filled with chicken and poblano peppers, topped with oaxaca cheese.[18]
Enchiladas potosinas originate fromSan Luis Potosi, Mexico, and are made with cheese-filled, chili-spiced masa.[19]
Enchiladas suizas (Swiss-style) are topped with a milk- or cream-based white sauce such asbéchamel. This appellation is derived from Swiss immigrants to Mexico who established dairies to produce cream and cheese.[20]
Enfrijoladas are topped with refried beans rather than chili sauce; their name comes fromfrijol, meaning "bean".[21][22]
Entomatadas are made with tomato sauce instead of chili sauce.[15]
Enchiladas montadas (stacked enchiladas) are aNew Mexico variation in which corn tortillas are fried flat until softened (but not tough) then stacked with red or green sauce, chopped onion and shredded cheese between the layers and on top of the stack. Ground beef or chicken can be added to the filling. The stack is often topped (montada) with a fried egg. Shredded lettuce and black olive slices may be added as a garnish.[23]
Enchiladas verdes are sauced withsalsa verde and typically made with white corn tortillas, filled with poached chicken breasts and topped withqueso fresco.[24]
Enjococadas are baked corn tortillas covered injocoque and filled withqueso panela and chile poblano.[25]
InCosta Rica, the enchilada is a common, small, spicy pastry made withpuff pastry and filled with diced potatoes spiced with a common variation ofTabasco sauce or other similar sauces. Other variations include fillings made of spicy chicken or minced meat.[26]
InHonduras, enchiladas look and taste very different from those in Mexico; they are not corn tortillas rolled around a filling, but instead are flat, fried, corn tortillas topped with ground beef, salad toppings (usually consisting of cabbage and tomato slices), a tomato sauce (often ketchup blended with butter and other spices such as cumin), and crumbled or shredded cheese. They look and taste much like what many people call atostada.[27]
InNicaragua, enchiladas are different from the other ones in Central America and resemble those in Mexico; they are corn tortillas filled with a mixture of ground beef and rice with chili, they are then folded and covered in egg batter and deep fried. It is commonly served with a cabbage and tomato salad (either pickled salad or in cream and tomato sauce). The Nicaraguan enchilada resembles theempanada of other countries.[28]
InGuatemala, enchiladas look much like Honduran enchiladas but the recipe is different. This version most commonly begins with a leaf of fresh lettuce on top of a flat fried corn tortilla, then a layer of 'picado de carne,' which includes meat (generally ground beef, shredded chicken, or pork) and diced vegetables (carrot, potato, onion, celery, green bean, peas, red bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf, seasoned with salt and black pepper). The next layer in the recipe is the 'curtido' layer which includes more vegetables (cabbage, beets, onions, and carrots). After this is two or three pieces of sliced hard boiled egg, then thin sliced white onion, and finally a drizzle of mild red salsa. The dish is topped with either queso seco or queso fresco and garnished withcilantro.[29]
^Parker, Margaret (12 October 2006)."History of Mexican Cuisine".Inner City Conservative Journal. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved9 July 2008.
^Conrad, Jim."A Thumbnail History of Mexican Food".Mercados: Traditional Mexican Markets (blog). Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved9 July 2008.
^Bowman, Barbara (2004)."Enchiladas as Mexican street food". Gourmet Sleuth (blog). Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved31 July 2008.
^Anderson, Don & Anderson, Janet (19 September 2007)."Chile colorado (recipe)". Anderson Kitchen (blog).Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved28 July 2008.
El Cocinero Mexicano o coleccion de los mejores recetas para guisar al estilo americano y de las mas selectas segun el metodo de los cocinas Espanola, Italiana, Francesca e Inglesa, 3 vols. Vol. 1. Mexico City: Imprenta de Galvan a cargo de Mariano Arevalo. 1831. pp. 78–88.OCLC34129684.
The dictionary definition ofenchilada at Wiktionary
