Prickly pear cactus
Prickly pear fruit
Gathered prickly pears
Cactus fries or nopalitos fritos is a side dish originating in the Southwestern United States, made of battered and deep-fried prickly pear paddles or nopales .
Cactus fries or nopalitos fritos is a side dish originating in the Southwestern United States, made of battered and deep-fried prickly pear paddles or nopales .
Cactus fries are an americanized dish that uses traditional Mexican ingredients. [1] The dish is strongly associated with the cuisine of the Southwestern United States, [2] where prickly pear is commonly eaten, and particularly in Texas and New Mexico, where Tex-Mex and New Mexican cuisine has developed. [1]
Cactus fries are prepared from nopales , the young segments or "paddles" of the prickly pear cactus. [3] [4] Before consumption, the needles and "eyes" are removed from the nopales, typically by scrubbing and rinsing them off, [5] cutting them out or burning them. [4] [6] Store-bought nopales typically have most of their needles removed prior to sale. [3] [4] The segments are then sliced and dredged in a cornmeal and egg-white batter that has been seasoned with achiote paste before deep frying. [7] [8] Other variations use cactus that has been coated in seasoned breadcrumbs [2] or cracker crumbs. [9]
The cactus is coated with mucilage [4] that gives it a slimy texture when cooked. [1] This makes it easier for batter to stick to the cactus, although the texture is considered unpleasant by some. [3] [4] Some recipes call for marinating or boiling the prickly pear segments before battering. [7] [10]
Cactus fries have a crunchy exterior and a silky interior, which has been compared to that of fried okra and onion rings. [10] [11] The flavor of the cactus itself has been compared to asparagus or bell peppers. [12] They are frequently served with a dipping sauce, such as salsa, [5] ranch dressing, or spicy ketchup. [7] [10]
Tempura is a typical Japanese dish that usually consists of seafood and vegetables that have been coated in a thin batter and deep fried. Tempura has its origins dating back the 16th century, when Portuguese Jesuits brought the Western-style cooking method of coating foods with flour and frying, via Nanban trade.
Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are staple foods of the Hopi people in Arizona. The Hidatsa people of the Upper Midwest call baked cornbread naktsi. Cherokee and Seneca tribes enrich the basic batter, adding chestnuts, sunflower seeds, apples, or berries, and sometimes combine it with beans or potatoes. Modern versions of cornbread are usually leavened by baking powder.
Chili con carne, also spelled chilli con carne or chile con carne and shortened to chili or chilli, is a spicy stew containing chili peppers, meat, tomatoes, and often pinto beans or kidney beans. Other seasonings may include garlic, onions, and cumin. The dish originated in northern Mexico.
Nopal is a common name in Spanish for Opuntia cacti, as well as for its pads. The name nopal derives from the Nahuatl word nohpalli for the pads of the plant.
Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Fried rice first developed during the Sui Dynasty in China.
Sweet and sour is a generic term that encompasses many styles of sauce, cuisine, and cooking methods. It is commonly used in East Asia and Southeast Asia and has been used in England since the Middle Ages. Sweet and sour sauce remains popular in Asian and Western cuisines.
A sopaipilla, sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga is a kind of fried pastry and a type of quick bread served in several regions with Spanish heritage in the Americas. The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from the Mozarabic language of Al-Andalus. The original Mozarabic word Xopaipa was used to mean bread soaked in oil. The word is derived in turn from the Germanic word suppa, which meant bread soaked in liquid.
Corn chips are a snack food made from cornmeal fried in oil or baked, usually in the shape of a small noodle or scoop. Corn chips are thick, rigid, very crunchy, have the strong aroma and flavor of roasted corn, and are often heavily seasoned with salt.
New Mexican cuisine is the cuisine of the Southwestern US state of New Mexico. The region is primarily known for its fusion of Pueblo Native American cuisine with Hispano Spanish and Mexican cuisine originating in Nuevo México. This Southwestern culinary style is popular beyond the current boundaries of New Mexico, and is found throughout the old territories of Nuevo México and the New Mexico Territory, today the state of Arizona, parts of Texas, and the southern portions of Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.
Opuntia ficus-indica, the Indian fig opuntia, fig opuntia, or prickly pear, is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant grown in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world. O. ficus-indica is the most widespread and most commercially important cactus. It is grown primarily as a fruit crop, and also for the vegetable nopales and other uses. Cacti are good crops for dry areas because they efficiently convert water into biomass. O. ficus-indica, as the most widespread of the long-domesticated cactuses, is as economically important as maize and blue agave in Mexico. Opuntia species hybridize easily, but the wild origin of O. ficus-indica is likely to have been in central Mexico, where its closest genetic relatives are found.
Stuffed peppers is a dish common in many cuisines. It consists of hollowed or halved bell peppers filled with any of a variety of fillings, often including meat, vegetables, cheese, rice, or sauce. The dish is usually assembled by filling the cavities of the peppers and then cooking.
Opuntia, commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers. Cacti are well-adapted to aridity, however, they are still vulnerable to alterations in precipitation and temperature driven by climate change. Prickly pear alone is more commonly used to refer exclusively to the fruit, but may also be used for the plant itself; in addition, other names given to the plant and its specific parts include tuna (fruit), sabra, sabbar, nopal from the Nahuatl word nōpalli, nostle (fruit) from the Nahuatl word nōchtli, and paddle cactus. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, an edible plant grew and could be propagated by rooting its leaves. The most common culinary species is the "Barbary fig".
Nopalitos is a dish made with diced nopales, the naturally flat stems, called pads, of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia). They are sold fresh, bottled, or canned and less often dried. They have a light, slightly tart flavor, and a crisp, mucilaginous texture. Nopalitos are often eaten with eggs as a breakfast and in salads and soups as lunch and dinner meals.
Texan cuisine is the food associated with the Southern U.S. state of Texas, including its native Southwestern cuisine influenced Tex-Mex foods. Texas is a large state, and its cuisine has been influenced by a wide range of cultures, including Tejano/Mexican, Native American, Creole/Cajun, African-American, German, Czech, Southern and other European American groups. The cuisine of neighboring states also influences Texan cuisine, such as New Mexican cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine. This can be seen in the widespread usage of New Mexico chiles, Cayenne peppers, and Tabasco sauce in Texan cooking.
Baja Med is a term conceived by Chef Miguel Ángel Guerrero that refers to fusion cuisine of Mexican cuisine, such as chicharrón and cotija cheese, with those of Mediterranean, such as olive oil, and Asian cuisine, such as lemongrass. Baja Med dishes showcase the fresh produce and seafood of Baja California.
American fried rice is a Thai fried rice dish with "American" side ingredients like fried chicken, ham, sausages, raisins, and ketchup. Other ingredients like pineapples and croutons are optional.
Fried cheese is a dish of cheese that is fried in oil. Fried cheese can be dipped in a batter before frying, and can be pan-fried or deep fried. It can be served as an appetizer or a snack. Fried cheese is a common food in Brazil and the Dominican Republic, and is typically served as a breakfast dish in Costa Rica, Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Fried cheese is served as a tapas dish in Spain; fried cheese balls are delicias de queso 'cheese delights'. Fried cheese is also found in Italian cuisine. Fried cheese is typically served hot, right after being cooked. It may be accompanied with a dipping sauce or coated with a dressing.
A carrozza, also referred to as mozzarella in carrozza, is a type of fried cheese sandwich or pastry in Italian cuisine. It is prepared by coating a mozzarella cheese sandwich in egg and flour, and frying it. It is a popular dish in the Campania region of Italy and in areas of New York City. Mozzarella fritta is a variation of the dish that consists of battered cheese, without any bread.
Fried okra is a side dish associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, particularly soul food. It is made by coating sliced okra in cornmeal and then frying it.
