flipMarket Tlacoyos with Nopales
Market Tlacoyos with Nopales
Why this dish? Frida loved to stroll through the colorful markets of Coyoacán for her provisions; tlacoyos, oval stuffed masa cakes grilled on the spot, were the street snack eaten standing between stalls.
Oval masa cake stuffed with bean purée or cheese, grilled on the griddle, then topped with cactus nopal, salsa verde, and crumbled fresh cheese. Tangy, salty, tender chew.
At the mercado, I always stop at the señora who makes tlacoyos: she flattens the masa between her hands like a little boat, slips the bean paste inside, and throws it on the hot comal. On top, nopales cut into strips, a salsa verde that stings just enough, and crumbled queso fresco. You eat it standing, fingers stained green, watching the crowd go by. That's the real taste of Mexico, not the salon fuss.
- •Nixtamalized corn masa — a bowl (masa cake)
- •Cooked bean purée — to taste (filling)
- •Nopales (cactus paddles) — a few (tangy topping)
- •Queso fresco — to taste (salty topping)
- •Salsa verde (tomatillos, chile) — to taste (spicy topping)
Market Tlacoyos with Nopales
Oval masa cake stuffed with bean purée or cheese, grilled on the griddle, then topped with cactus nopal, salsa verde, and crumbled fresh cheese. Tangy, salty, tender chew.
Why this dish? Frida loved to stroll through the colorful markets of Coyoacán for her provisions; tlacoyos, oval stuffed masa cakes grilled on the spot, were the street snack eaten standing between stalls.
At the mercado, I always stop at the señora who makes tlacoyos: she flattens the masa between her hands like a little boat, slips the bean paste inside, and throws it on the hot comal. On top, nopales cut into strips, a salsa verde that stings just enough, and crumbled queso fresco. You eat it standing, fingers stained green, watching the crowd go by. That's the real taste of Mexico, not the salon fuss.
Ingredients (period version)
- Nixtamalized corn masa — a bowl (masa cake)
- Cooked bean purée — to taste (filling)
- Nopales (cactus paddles) — a few (tangy topping)
- Queso fresco — to taste (salty topping)
- Salsa verde (tomatillos, chile) — to taste (spicy topping)
Ingredients
- Masa harina — 300 g + warm water (masa cake)
- Cooked fava beans (or bean purée) — 200 g (filling)
- Bottled nopales (or flat green beans as substitute) — 150 g, cut into strips (tangy topping)
- Crumbled fresh cheese (like mild feta) — 100 g (topping)
- Salsa verde (tomatillos + chile serrano + cilantro) — 1 bowl (spicy topping)
Method
- Mix masa harina with warm salted water to a soft, non-sticky dough.
- Mash beans into a seasoned purée. Form masa balls, hollow out, fill with purée, then seal.
- Shape into flattened ovals (the boat) between two sheets of plastic.
- Cook on a hot griddle or pan 3-4 minutes per side, until golden spots appear.
- Quickly sauté drained nopales in a pan. Top each tlacoyo with nopales, salsa verde, and crumbled cheese. Serve immediately.
How it was made : The tlacoyo is one of the oldest Mexican antojitos, pre-Conquest, hand-shaped on the clay comal. Nopales, edible cactus, were (and remain) a daily market vegetable; queso fresco was added after the introduction of European dairy.
The contemporary twist : Serve on a board with three salsas of different colors — green, red, black — for a trio worthy of her painter's palette.
Sources : Diana Kennedy, *The Cuisines of Mexico*, 1972
Frida Kahlo · Charactorium
