Navajo Tacos

I grew up eating Navajo Tacos and they are my favorite! 

 I'm trying to master my dough which is proving to be hard, but I'm getting better. I want it to be just like my mom's and Shimassani's (maternal grandmother) bread!!!! Growing up I never helped make the dough, but I helped flap and fry it. Those are some of the best childhood memories I have!!

Navajo grandmas are pros and don't use any measuring tools and just ust their hands and eyes to measure. But, here is a general recipe with measurements! Also, for starters start by cutting the recipe in half. I learned better that way and if I messed up I didn't have as much that I messed up, lol! Also, I find that the warmer/hot, more on the hot side the water is, the better my dough comes out. Good luck!

Navajo Frybread

4 cups flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp. crisco or vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups warm/hot water

2-3 cups vegetable oil or Crisco for frying

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add oil and mix. Make a well in the middle.

2. Pour 1 cup of the water into the well and stir together with hands or spoon. Slowly add water little by little, as needed, to make dough come together until you can knead it until it's no longer too sticky, but soft. A little sticky is ok. 

*Warmer water a little on the hot side makes the dough softer.

*I don't always add all the water. It just depends on the dough. Add it slowly as needed.

3. Put it in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let it sit for up to 30mins in a warmer area. The longer it sits the softer the dough will get and makes it much easier to flap and stretch.

4. While the dough is resting put the oil (which I always add by eye) into the pan and start heating it up. It just depends on the size of your pot. You need just enough oil to slightly cover the stretched out dough. Once it reaches its smoke point, you'll start to see smoke rising, it's ready and you may want to turn it down a little bit. To check if it's ready tear off a tiny peice of dough and put it into the hot oil and see how fast it cooks. This helps better determine if the oil is ready. You want the dough to cook pretty fast, until a nice golden brown. Use a fork to take out the cooked dough.

5. When the dough is ready tear off a tennis ball size or smaller piece of dough and form into a ball. 

6. You can use a rolling pin to flatten it out or use your hands to stretch it and flap it out like a true Navajo! Aye ;)

7. Carefully put it in the hot oil pan or cast iron skillet with a hole somewhere in the dough, I like to lay it down going away from me slowly in the oil. This keeps the oil from splashing on you. The oil is extremely hot and will severely burn you if you're not careful. I always wear an apron and try to wear long sleeves. Small amounts of oil will pop out of the pan, so be careful. This is why you don't want it too hot and to use something long like a fork or hook or good pair of tongs to flip it. Flip it when the edges start getting brown. It should cook pretty fast and will be a nice golden brown color.

8. Put the fry bread in big enough pan or bowl standing up with a paper towel at the bottom to soak the grease.

Now all you need are the toppings....

Chili beans (check out my Picante Chili recipe), chopped iceberg lettuce, cheese, onions, salsa, and sour cream are great toppings!

*It's easier if you tear the bread up before putting the toppings on.

Enjoy!!

Navajo Breakfast Burritos

If you are ever on the Navajo Reservation and see a sign that says "Breakfast Burrito" pull over and get one!! You won't be disappointed. Homemade Navajo "Naaniskadi" bread filled with spam, eggs, and potatoes is so GOOD!! 

Navajo grandmas are pros and don't use any measuring tools and just ust their hands and eyes to measure. But, here is a general recipe with measurements! Also, for starters start by cutting the recipe in half. I learned better that way and if I messed up I didn't have as much that I messed up, lol! And 4 cups makes alot. I also find that the warmer/hot, more on the hot side the water is, the better my dough comes out. Good luck!

Naaniskadi (Navajo Tortillas)

4 cups flour

2 T baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups warm/hot water

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the middle.

2. Pour 1 cup of the water into the well and stir together with hands for spoon. Slowly adding the water little by little as needed to make dough come together until you can knead it until it's not longer sticky, but soft. You don't need to over knead.

3. Put it in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let it sit for up to 30mins in a warmer araa. The longer it sits the softer the dough will get and makes it much easier to flap and stretch.

4. When the dough is ready tear off a tennis ball size or smaller piece of dough and form into a ball. 

5. You can use a rolling pin to flatten it out or use your hands to stretch it and flap it out like a true Navajo! Aye ;)

6. Heat the pan, I like cast iron pans, to med.-high heat. Grease it as needed and cook them on both sides.

Spam, Eggs, and Potatoes.....

I peel, chop, and cube my potatoes and put them in water to reduce the starch. Start to heat up the cast iron skillet on low while you prepare other things. Chop onions and spam. Then I turn the heat up on the pan and pour some oil in, throw the potatoes in with a little bit of water, and cover. Watch and stir them so they don't burn. After a few minutes take the lid off to finish them adding anymore oil if needed. You want to them brown on the sides and be soft in the middle. Once they finish I put them in a bowl and cover and start cooking the onions and let them soften a bit and then throw the spam in and cook for a few minutes. Then toss them in the bowl with the potatoes. Then cook the eggs. You can cook them with the onions and spam if wanted. When your scrambled eggs are done toss them in the bowl and its ready to serve!

Naaniskadi is also good with beef stew....

 And Turkey Soup....

All of this makes me miss my Shimasani! My grandma....

Stew & Frybread

The Fish Fam sure enjoyed this meal...

Navajo Frybread & Stew

I'm Navajo and growing up I always enjoyed helping my grandma, mom, and aunties all make or rather "flap" the dough, to get it stretched and ready to fry in the pan. Unfortunately, I never learned how to make the dough. Sad I know. But, I sure can flap out the dough. But, getting the dough just right so it's nice and soft and easy to flap is an art that doesn't include measurements! It's all about watching your Masani (grandma) and learning.

But, in the last few times that I've made my own dough, and yes did have to use measurements, it's came out pretty good. The thing that might be funny is this is an all organic fry bread. Lol! It's even fried in organic shortening from mechanically pressed palm oil. A much healthier option than the usual crisco or vegetable oil.

Seriously, read this article here why vegetable oils and margarines are so toxic for our bodies.

You can use this recipe for a general idea and try at making your own dough...

Navajo Tortillas or Frybread

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups warm water

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add 1 cup of the water and mix, adding more water as needed to make dough soft but not sticky. Knead smooth. It's best to let it sit on the counter with a towel over it to let it soften up, makes it easier to work with. When ready tear off a chunk about the size of a small peach. Roll in a ball then flatten out to about 1/8 inch. And flap and stretch it if you know how or just use a rolling pin. Put in pan or cast iron skillet or in hot oil to fry (carefully do so dipping the dough in the pan closest to you and slowly laying down the dough away from you until it is all in the oil, be so carefully to not drop the dough in or it will splash oil all over). Watch it closely and turn and cook on other side.

Serve with Navajo mutton stew. Yum!

Or in this case beef stew. They didn't have any mutton this time at the store.

Beef Stew

Meat:

1- 1 1/2 pounds stew beef

Vegetables:

1 onion, chopped

2-4 cubed potatoes

2-4 carrot, chopped

2-4 celery stalks, chopped

1 zucchini & yellow squash each

*All to your liking or add different veggies.

Seasonings:

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoons dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

*All to your liking

Flour Mix:

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

10-12 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons oil

The broth for our beef stew was made out of beef bones that we cooked in our pressure cooker, an Insta Pot, so amazing! Then I coated the beef chunks in 1/2 cup gluten free flour, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of pepper....mixed and shook meat and flour in a ziplock bag until it was well coated. Then added the oil to the pot and cooked it until it was browned all all sides, took a few minutes. Then I took it out and placed it on a plate. Next, add a little beef broth, maybe a little bit more oil to sauté the onions until caramelized and soft. Add in all the beef broth, meat, and chopped up vegetables. Cook until veggies are soft and ready!

You can make this stew in the crock pot or pressure cooker (find a good recipe and follow instructions exactly).

Also, add more sea salt (prob more of this) and pepper to taste.

While it's cooking get your dough ready and whalla, enjoy!