serves
12
prep
25 minutes
cook
20 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
12
people
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
20
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 12 tostadas (see Note)
- 500 g shredded chicken
- ½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 2 cups grated carrot
- 200 g shredded quesillo (see Note)
- 150 ml crème fraiche
- 3 avocados, peeled and sliced
Black bean paste
- 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup plantain, sliced
- 2 cups cooked black turtle beans
- 2 tbsp chopped white onion
- salt, to taste
Arbol salsa
- 6–10 arbol chillies (see Note)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
To prepare the black bean paste, heat the vegetable oil in a 25 cm frying pan over medium. Add the plantain and cook for 4 minutes or until golden all over. Remove and place in a blender. Add the cooked black beans and enough water to cover. Blend until very fine.
Reheat oil over medium and add the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until starting to darken. Add the black bean paste and salt, then cook gently for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Reserve.
To prepare the salsa, wipe chillies clean. Heat oil in a frying pan and cook the chillies for 10–20 seconds or until lightly fragrant and darkened slightly. Place tomatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil. Cook for 4–5 minutes until tomatoes are soft, then remove from the heat. Place the chillies in a blender and add tomato, garlic and salt. Add enough of the tomato cooking water as needed to cover the chillies. Blend until smooth, then place in a bowl.
Assemble the tostadas by smearing black bean paste over the bases, then top with layers of chicken, lettuce, carrot and cheese. Garnish with a drizzle of crème fraiche and few small slices of avocado then serve, offering the salsa on the table for each person to add to taste.
Note
• Arbol chillies and tostadas are available from speciality food stores and Mexican grocers.
• If quesillo is unavailable, buffalo mozzerella will make a good substitute.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
