Chimichangas are a sort of tortilla wraps, common on street stalls along the Mexican border with Texas. For the original chimichangas they use tomatillos (Mexican Husk tomato) and chipotle chillies (a spicy, dry smoked chilli). But for this recipe I replaced exotic tomatillos with easy to get semi-dried tomatoes and used ready made chipotle chilli paste.
This recipe is taken from "Chicken: over 400 fabulous recipes for all occasions".
Ingredients:
for 4 small chimichangas
175 g chicken breast fillets, cubed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 x 400 g can pinto beans
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chipotle chilli paste
70 g semi-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cloves
4 wheat tortillas x 20 cm
oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Heat oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 10 minutes until softened.
Stir in the spices and garlic. Mix well.
Add chicken and stir fry it until brown and all wrapped in spices.
Add chipotle chilli paste.
Add tomatoes and pinto beans, mixing well after each addition. Stir-fry until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Remove from heat and leave to cool. Season to taste.
Wrap the tortillas in foil and place them on a plate. Stand the plate over boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until they become pliable. Alternatively, wrap them in microwave-safe film and heat them in a microwave on full power for 1 minute.
Spoon 1/4 of the filling into the centre of each tortilla.
Fold in both sides, then fold the bottom of the tortilla up and the top down to form a neat parcel. Press them well to crush the filling and make it more thick. You can secure the folds with a wooden cocktail stick or toothpick (I usually don't do that).
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chimichangas in batches until crisp, putting them on the pan with the folded sides first to seal them.
Remove them from oil and drain on a kitchen paper. Serve hot.
Bon Appetit!
