Homemade Corn Tortilla

It has been years since I have been buying tortillas from the store. Initially, when I was a student, I used to buy whole wheat tortillas which used to be my substitute for chapatis/rotis. When I started making tacos and burritos at home, I started using the corn and flour tortillas. However, it always bothered me that these store bought tortillas had such a long shelf life and a really long list of ingredients. Half of these ingredients seemed to be chemicals that I couldn't even pronounce. If you have been following my blog, you will see that I try to make most of the food from scratch at home.  This way I am able to control the content and quality of my food. So, several years ago, I decided I just couldn't buy these tortillas anymore and had to try making them at home. How hard can it be?!

I bought some masa flour, and set off to work. The main hurdle was that I didn't have a tortilla press when I first did this experiment, but I managed to make it work with other equipment (details in the method and tips below), and the result was incredible. They were very easy to make, quick to cook, smelt heavenly (none of that chemical smell of the store ones) and absolutely delicious! I will never need to buy corn tortillas again. For all of those who have toyed with this question, but thought it was too difficult to make, go ahead and take the plunge. It is easier than making bread or chapatis and so worth the effort! Your taste buds and your stomach will thank you.

Ingredients
1 cup instant corn masa flour (masa harina - white corn or yellow corn)
1/8 tsp salt or a pinch of salt
2/3 cup and a few tbsp water
1 thick plastic ziploc bag/parchment paper cut into 2 squares or 2 thick, square plastic sheets (about 8X8 inches) or parchment paper
1 tortilla press OR a heavy pan with a wide flat bottom

Method
Mix the salt in with the flour and then add water. Add a little at a time till a soft yet firm dough is formed. You don't want the dough to be too dry that it crumbles and neither do you want it to be too loose and soft.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and cover with a damp cloth or paper towel, so that it doesn't dry up.

Heat your pan on high heat and then keep the temperature at medium-high. Now, take a piece of dough, roll it into a ball, about 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. If you are using a tortilla press, then line it with 2 sheets of the plastic sheet. Place the ball between the two sheets and then press it till the tortilla is about 5-6 inches in diameter. Now, if you don't have a tortilla press, then place the plastic sheets one on top of the other, on your kitchen countertop or a rolling surface and then place the ball of dough in between the sheets and then flatten it slightly with your palm. Then, take a pan or any heavy vessel which has a large base (larger than the diameter of the tortilla) and then place this pan onto the dough. Make sure to have it in a flat level (parallel to the rolling surface) and then press onto the dough to flatten it. Do this till the dough has been flattened and the tortilla is 5-6 inches in diameter. If needed, you can use a rolling pin to increase the tortilla size. Don't use a rolling pin for too long though, as it makes the tortilla stick to the plastic sheet.

Now, open up the tortilla press/remove the pan and then peel the plastic sheet off the tortilla. Then, flip the tortilla into the palm of one hand and then using your other hand peel off the other plastic sheet and then place it onto the hot pan.

Cook on one side for a couple of minutes, till the edges start to dry out and then flip it over and cook on the other side for 1.5-2 minutes.  Then flip it back and cook it completely on the side that had been placed on the pan first. The tortilla will start to puff up as it gets cooked.

Tips
You may need less or more water depending on how humid your surrounding is. To dampen the cloth/paper towel, wet it and then squeeze out all the water so that the towel doesn't have any water dripping from it. If the towel is too wet, it will affect the consistency of the dough. I use a cast iron pan to cook these. Masa harina is not the same as the corn flour used to make makke di roti. Masa harina is processed differently, and hence the tastes will vary. However, you can substitue with corn flour if masa harina is not available. Yellow corn masa flour will yield yellow tortilla and the white ones are with the white corn masa flour. Both are delicous.