State Fair-Like Indian Tacos

As soon as the weather changes, I start getting inspired to try new things.

This week, on the menu, are Indian Tacos.

I'm not sure that I've ever made these for the Mr. and the cherubs.

But as a kid, I remember going to the Oklahoma State Fair and getting an Indian Taco.

We could only buy our tacos from one certain Indian Taco stand.

Oh, there were others at the fair.

But they were impostures, I tell you!

But I am not at the fair this week, so I had to make my own.

There are several recipes on-line, so I just picked one. 

I'm listing it here.

After we make it, if we aren't particularly fond of it, I'll try another recipe; but until then, here's what we've got!

We topped the fry bread with taco meat, cumin-seasoned pinto beans, shredded lettuce, chopped onions, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, and some salsa. 

It was good!

Indian Fry Bread

(slightly adapted from the original recipe)

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup water
Vegetable oil for frying
Extra flour to flour your hands

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump.

Flour your hands well. Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball. You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it. Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured.

Cut the dough into four (4) pieces. Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 4 to 5 inches in diameter.  

In a deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F. You can check if you oil is hot enough by either dropping a small piece of dough in the hot oil and seeing if it begins to fry, or by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in and seeing if that bubbles. Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in a large cast-iron skillet or other large heavy pot.

Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take approximately 3 to 4 minutes to cook. Place the cooked Fry Bread on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Indian Fry Bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.