Do you know Mexican food, such as tortilla and tacos? Those are common Mexican food that you usually hear. How about gordita? Have you ever heard about it? It is one of healthy Mexican food that you must try. It is a pastry consists of masa (dough that is used to make corn tortilla) filled with cheese, meat or other vegetables. This kind of food can be enjoyed either as breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is best enjoyed while it is hot.
Gordita has two ways of serving, one of which is being baked in a regular comal and another is fried in a deep-wok-shaped comal. Gordita is commonly known as thick tortilla as the flour used to make both is similar, but gordita could use wheat flour as well.
You may start wondering whether gordita is recommended as healthy food. The answer is it is healthy. Let’s see what nutrition you can find in gordita, how to make a healthy version of gordita and some cautions of consuming gordita.
Read Health Benefits of Burritos and Beans and Health Benefits of Aguachiles to see other types of Mexican food.
Health benefits of gordita
Gordita is a good and healthy meal to be consumed. There are some reasons why you must put gordita in your diet list starting from now on.
Promoting weight loss
Jalapenos have capsaicin and capsaicinoids that are very beneficial for boosting metabolism. As a result, it is vert helpful to lose some weight. Moreover, consuming jalapenos in your gordita reduce fat in your abdominal area and lessen your appetite so you will not consume more calories.
Gluten-free carbohydrate
Masa flour as one of the sources of carbohydrate is very good as it is gluten free. It is very good for people suffering from diabetes. Besides, by consuming gluten-free carbohydrate, you will not get hungry easily anymore.
Rich in vitamins
Most of the ingredients in gordita are rich in vitamins, so that is why gordita itself provides you with a lot of vitamins, such as vitamin A, B and C.
How nutritious is gordita?
For one serving of gordita, you can find:
- 240 calories
- 12 g of fats
- 0 mg of cholesterol
- 270 mg of sodium
- 30 g of carbohydrates
- 7 g of protein
- 4% of vitamin A
- 26 mg of vitamin C
- 60 mg of calcium
- 12 mg of iron
- 505 mg of potassium
- 70 mcg of folate
Gordita is considered as a good food for your health as it does not contain any cholesterol and low in calories. Moreover, it is very good for weight loss. You may read 7 True Health Benefits of Rice Noodles and Parsley Leaves Benefits for Weight Loss Might Surprise You!.
How to make a healthy version of gordita?
You may hear that gordita is considered as junk food as it is fried, but surprisingly, you can make the healthy version of gordita at home. It is easier, cheaper and healthier, of course! Let’s check the following recipe of Jalapenos and Beans Gordita.
To make Jalapenos and Beans Gordita, you will need:
- 1 cup of dried masa flour
- 2 fresh and ripe avocadoes, peeled and divided
- ¼ tsp. of salt
- 2 tsp. of chia seeds
- 2 tsp. of ground flaxseed
- ½ tsp. of baking powder
- ½ cup of water
- ½ tsp. of oil
- 2 jalapeno peppers (diced)
- ¼ onion (diced)
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1 15-oz can beans (drained)
- ½ cup of water
- ½ lime (juiced)
How to make it:
- Heat oil on the skillet over medium heat. Put onions and garlic and saute them for around 1 to 2 minutes. Put some beans and saute for around 3 minutes.
- Continue cooking and add ½ cup of water gradually to mash the beans until they are thickened.
- Mash ½ avocado in a bowl by using fork and add some salt into it. Add dried corn masa, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, baking powder and mix them well with fork. Add water gradually (about ½ cup of water) so that you can have consistent dough. Make a ball by using your hand. Divide them into 6 smaller balls.
- Pat each ball with hand into a tortilla size. Use plastic wrap to form round shape and make sure you make them rounded evenly.
- Mash the other half of avocado and squeeze some lime juice and set them aside.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat and toast one gordita at one time for around 3 minutes. Do it on the other sides as well. Press it down to make sure it is cooked well.
- Remove gordita from heat and split the middle to make an opening. Then, fill it with mashed avocado and beans. Enjoy it while it is still hot!
Cautions
Gordita is a very good meal to feed your hunger. However, there are some cautions you need to pay attention to make gordita healthier for your body. Here are some things that you can put into consideration before making gordita.
- Use corn flour instead of wheat flour as it is gluten-free. So, it is good for your diet and safe for people suffering from diabetes.
- Do not saute the vegetables for too long because it will just make it oily. Using dry vegetables will be better.
- Use meat, chicken or fish that is grilled instead of fried. It will reduce the amount of fats.
After reading all the information about gordita, would you still doubt of consuming it? I hope not. Why should you doubt to consume food that gives you a lot of health benefits? Go grab some masa flour and start making your healthy version of gordita. Provecho (have a nice meal)!