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Masa and Rajas

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks. 

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups masa harina
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 poblano chiles
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup cream, or more to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 1/2 cups masa harina, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Stir to combine into a coarse meal. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and stir to make a thick batter.
  2. Trim, peel, and chop the onion. 
    Trim, core, seed, and slice the poblanos.
  3. Put 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Peel and slice 2 cloves garlic.
  5. When the oil is hot, add the onion, poblanos, and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 12 minutes.
  6. Put 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the masa batter, spreading it into an even layer (about 1/2 inch thick) with a rubber spatula or a big spoon. Cover the skillet and cook, adjusting the heat so the edge barely sizzles, until the cake is crisp on the bottom and slightly puffed up and firm on the top, 5 to 10 minutes. When the cake is done, remove the pan from the heat.
  7. When the vegetables are soft, stir in 1/2 cup cream and cook until it reduces slightly, a minute or two. Taste and adjust the seasoning. To serve, cut the cake into 4 or 8 wedges and spoon the poblano mixture over the top.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast: Completely Revised and Updated

Recipe variations

Masa and Rajas with Chicken
Before adding the vegetables, slice 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 ounces) and cook them in the hot oil undisturbed until they brown and release easily, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the meat is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the skillet, then cook the vegetables. Stir the chicken back in along with the cream in Step 5.

Masa and Rajas with Beef
Before adding the vegetables, cut 8 ounces beef sirloin steak against the grain into slices as thin as you can. Cook them in the hot oil undisturbed until they brown and release easily, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir, then transfer the steak to a plate. Cook the vegetables. Stir the steak back in along with the cream in Step 5.

Masa and Rajas with Chorizo
Before adding the vegetables, cook 8 ounces fresh Mexican-style chorizo (squeezed from the casing if necessary) in the hot oil, stirring once in a while, until crisp and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a plate with a slotted spoon and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat before proceeding. Stir it back in along with the cream in Step 5.