Traditional Food Recipes! Your complete guide to traditional food and traditional recipes. Traditional Afghan, African, Amish, Asian, Cajun, Caribbean, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Austrian, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Mennonite, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Native American, Oceanian, Pennsylvania Dutch, Philippine, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Scandinavian, South American, Southwestern, Spanish, Swiss, Tex Mex, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Welsh.
Fry Bread
This bread is used as the basis for Navajo Tacos and can also be folded over a stuffing and eaten as a sandwich. At special events through the Southwest they are cooked in large round pots over open mesquite fires by Native Americans.
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon shortening, lard or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm water
Measure dry ingredients into a deep mixing bowl. Add shortening and knead with hands until dough is in small pea-size pieces. Add warm, not hot, water and knead with hands until dough is smooth and leaves sides of bowl. Knead at least 5 minutes. Cover with a clean dish towel, and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. This is the secret for tender fry bread — kneading and resting.
Divide dough into portions about golf-ball size and pat, slap, or roll out as round as possible, 1/4 inch thick. Fry in hot shortening or oil about 1 inch in depth. Fry both sides until light golden, not dark brown. Top with refried beans, confectioners' sugar or honey.
