A controversy has recently arisen in Mexico about whether all quesadillas have cheese or not. If we stick to the meaning of the word “quesadilla”, regardless of the stew that accompanies them, they should all have a little cheese, since this also makes them a more complete and exquisite dish. However, there is nothing written about tastes and everyone can decide to add or not cheese.
On this occasion, we share one of the most traditional recipes prepared in Mexico, pumpkin flower quesadillas. Its elaboration dates back to ancient times and, precisely, what gives it a modern touch is that these quesadillas do contain cheese, in addition to their main ingredient. It is a simple preparation, its ingredients are extremely accessible and it is a versatile dish, which you could offer both as an appetizer and as a main course. We invite you to continue with us and discover how to make fried squash flower quesadillas, a nutritious, delicious, practical dish that does not require much effort.
Ingredients to make Pumpkin Flower Quesadillas:
• 300 grams of fresh pumpkin flower
• ½ kilogram of chopped red tomato
• 1½ pieces of white onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 200 grams of string cheese
• 1 kilogram of dough for corn tortilla
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
• 1 cup of oil
How to make Squash Blossom Quesadillas:
To start with the easy squash flower quesadillas recipe, first sauté the onion, garlic and chopped tomato in a pan with a tablespoon of hot oil. You should sauté these ingredients until the onion is transparent.
Do you want to know how to prepare the pumpkin flower? Well, add all the washed pumpkin flower and move constantly to integrate all the ingredients of the preparation. Also, add a pinch of salt and the tablespoon of powdered chicken consommé. When you notice that the pumpkin flowers are soft and integrated into the stew, remove the pan from the heat and reserve.
Trick: you can also use vegetable consommé to make vegetarian squash flower quesadillas. Likewise, you can include ingredients such as corn or mushrooms.
Separately, form the tortillas to make the quesadillas. And you wonder how to prepare the dough for Mexican-style pumpkin flower quesadillas? To do this, take the corn dough and give it a rounded and flat shape with the help of a tortilla maker. If you don’t have a tortilla maker, you can shape the dough into a tortilla using two flat-bottomed plates. Fill the pumpkin flower quesadillas by taking a little stew and placing it on one of the tortilla halves. Also distribute some string cheese. Close them with the help of the machine or with your hands and seal the edges well.
Tip: you can also cook the tortillas and fill the quesadillas later.
Cook the fried squash flower quesadillas in a skillet with hot oil over high heat. They should be golden on both sides. If you have decided to cook the tortillas and fill them later, we recommend doing it while they are still hot or passing them through the pan for a few seconds so that the cheese melts. The fried pumpkin flower quesadillas are almost there!
Reserve the quesadillas on absorbent paper to remove excess fat and that’s it. They can be served accompanied by some type of salad or simply with the sauce of the diner’s taste. Although if you prefer them simple, they are delicious too. You have already seen that making squash flower quesadillas with cheese is very simple and that it is a Mexican recipe that lends itself to variations.
Pumpkin flower quesadillas – Origin, preparation and accompaniments
The origin of squash flower quesadillas is uncertain, since squash flowers have been part of Mexican cuisine since ancient times. So much so, that they occupy a leading place in many of their recipes, such as the popular pumpkin flower soup.
On the other hand, there are many ways to prepare these quesadillas, since there are those who add corn, huitlacoche, pork rinds, etc. Likewise, they can be fried, as we have learned in this recipe, or simply by filling the already cooked tortillas. Either way they are delicious, so we encourage you to try the different recipes to make different dishes each time. As for the accompaniments, you can serve the squash flower quesadillas with Pico de Gallo and sour cream, a corn and jicama salad, and even prepare more quesadillas.
