Enfrijoladas is a very delicious dish that many people have never heard of. I believe it is regional to a specific part of Mexico (Jalisco?) and it's never offered in Mexico. Luckily, I was taught how to make it by someone from Mexico and it was very easily veganized. The best way I can explain it is enchiladas with bean sauce.
So I present to you now...Enfrijoladas!
2 c frijoles de la olla or 1 can of pinto beans
1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped
1 serrano chile, chopped
1/2 brown onion, chopped
2 tbs of minced garlic
1 tbs of Mexican oregano (regular is fine, too!)
1 1/2-2 c vegetable broth
6-8 tortillas (note: you need very fresh tortillas, preferably from a tortilleria if you can get them. If you must buy store-bought, warm them first).
1 c Daiya cheddar
Cooking oil
Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine the beans and broth. Meanwhile, pour the cooking oil (I used Canola, but olive is fine too), enough to saute the veggies in. Saute the onion, garlic, tomato and chile for three minutes, or until soft. Add the oregano and saute another minute.
(It doesn't matter how finely they're chopped because it's all going to be blended)
Add the beans and broth and simmer for about ten minutes.
After ten minutes, remove the bean mixture from the heat for about five minutes. Very carefully, pour the mixture into a blender and puree for ten seconds. Pour the sauce back into the pan and warm for two minutes, stirring every few seconds.
Now it gets tricky. Using tongs, you're going to take the tortilla, dip both sides in the bean mixture, and transfer to a glass baking dish, folded in half. This is why the tortillas need to be fresh or warm because they won't fold over correctly otherwise.
Dipping side one...
Dipping side two...
Folding over in my dish...
Attempting to fold neatly.
Once the tortilla is in the dish, lift up the top flap and put a handful of cheese inside, then refold.
Once you have made all 6-8, take the remaining bean sauce and cover the tortillas, like you would with enchilada sauce. If you have a lot left over, don't use it all. Make sure the tortillas still stick up a little.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The bean sauce will look slightly browner and maybe harden a bit when done.
And YAY! Enfrijoladas. They are kind of hard to get out of the pan without breaking and sticking, but who cares. They are delicious. I served mine with lettuce and onions and a side of chips. I would have added sour cream but I was out. They would also go well with orange or yellow rice.
If you try this, let me know how it works out!
