Monday, December 22, 2008

Mom's Recipe Book: Indian Fry Bread & Navajo Tacos

To see the history of "Mom's Recipe Book" as well as other entries in this series, click here.

Have you ever had Indian Fry Bread? It's similar to a sopapilla and and oh-so-good. A Native American woman taught my mom to make it years ago. I haven't made it in years--I think I'll have to remedy that soon!

Please note that while my mom is an excellent cook of healthy dishes, this is not one of her low-fat items!  Also, I halved this recipe because it was so huge, so the flour and water measurements are kinda weird.  There's no easy way to measure out HALF of 6 3/4 cups!

Indian Fry Bread

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp warm water

Instructions:
Knead into a very soft, somewhat sticky dough. Let it rest 10-15 minutes, covered.

Knead edges of dough under, and let it rest another few minutes.  Pinch off into 6 balls, and roll into circles.

Cut into triangles (or keep in circles if using for Navajo Tacos), and deep fry.

Eat as a side dish, as part of Navajo Tacos (see below), or as a dessert (drizzled with honey.)

Navajo Tacos

Ingredients:
Indian Fry Bread, circular
Refried beans
Taco meat
Lettuce
Tomato
Green onion
Cheese
Avocado
Sour cream
Taco sauce

Spread refried beans on fry bread, and top with any combination of the ingredients listed, or anything else that sounds good to you.

I just ate, and I somehow feel a little hungry again....

Edited--I made fry bread later on in the day, after posting, and I used 2 cups white flour, the rest whole wheat flour.  It turned out great.  I woudn't call it healthy, but at least the whole wheat flour adds a little nutritional value.

15 comments:

Michelle Brunner said...

This sounds so good! I have never had this before! Thanks for posting...I am going to try it...probably with the honey because I am a huge dessert person!

Sandra said...

I'd love to try them, but it will have to be after we start back to the gym mid-January! Why, oh, why is it that anything that sounds really good tends to be fatteening?

beckiwithani said...

Ooooooh. You just gave me an idea for a decadent, vegan, whole-grain adaptation of this I could create to post on my vegan(ish) blog. A project for the New Year!

Laurel said...

Yea!! You put this one up!! Yummers!! I think it's a meal sometime this week :-).

Kristi said...

Mmmmm...sounds delicious!

Janell said...

I love Navajo tacos! I cheat a little by using my dinner roll recipe for the dough and letting the bread maker do all the kneading and mixing. :) And sometimes when I'm in a hurry I use a can of chili instead of the taco meat and beans. But same basic idea. Yum!

DiPaola Momma said...

Boy I haven't had Fry bread since leaving Cali. On of the great things about growing up in the Colorado river basin is the great tribes in the area and all the cool native american dishes. Last time I was home, we went to a reservation casnio near Yuma and they made Navajo tacos (even though they were Cocopa). Thanks for this one I owe you a tamale recipe (yumm chicken, jack and green chili!)

Faith said...

I love fry bread. I've got to admit that we usually just buy it from a road-side stand here though. :)

I might have to try making my own.

forever folding laundry said...

Mmmm....yum! Those tacos sound very good!

Anonymous said...

I cannot wait to try this recipe! My first (and only) taste of fry bread was a batch made by the mother of a Native American student in my class YEARS ago- it was SO good, but I never got a chance to ask for the recipe. Thanks!

Lyndsay said...

Yum! Yum! Sounds sinfully delish!

Simplicity said...

That sounds yummilicious!!

C. Beth said...

Michelle--You're welcome! They are delicious with honey; hope you enjoy.

Sandra--I'm thinking you're not at all alone in that complaint. :)

Becki--Mmm, looking forward to it! I did use part whole wheat flour when I made these last night and they were very good.

Laurel--Yeah, let me know what you think!

Kristi--Delicious and easy!

Janell--Unfortunately my hands are my bread machine. :) Haven't been willing to give up the counter space a bread machine requires, up to this point!

DiPaola--Mmm, that tamale recipe sounds great; bring it on!

Faith--You really should try it!

FFL--Oh, they are so yummy. :)

Janice--Let me know what you think! It's easy and good.

Lyndsay--Definitely sinful. :)

Simplicity--Great word for it, yummilicious!

Anonymous said...

Beth- Made Navajo tacos for Christmas Eve- it was such fun to try a new recipe. Wasn't sure if they were supposed to be more soft or crisp, depended on how I rolled them, but both ways, these were sooo delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe- we'll certainly make them again!!!

C. Beth said...

Janice--Oh, good! I'm glad you enjoyed them! They are meant to be soft.