What brings life to Belize? For many, it’s the bright and welcoming colors of nature, but for me, someone that lived there for most of my life, it’s the amazing Belizean food! And Garnaches is one of these foods.
Related: Eat like a local in Belize & Top Belizean Foods
BELIZEAN GARNACHES
Not to be confused with a Guatemalan Garnacha, a Belizean Garnache is a flat, fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, chopped cabbage and tomato mix (or pickled onion), and cheese. It may sound basic, but when these ingredients are put together, they become magical. Don’t believe me? Here’s the recipe for you to try and judge for yourself!
INGREDIENTS (serving 4-6)
GARNACHES INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pack of round fried corn tortillas (Tostada classica 14 oz bag)
- 1 can of refried black or kidney beans (398 ml)
- 2 cups of green cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 medium tomato, finely diced
- 1 tbsp of cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ cup of Edam or Gouda cheese, grated (Calavera Cheese in Belize)
- ¼ cup of yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Pickled onion, diced (this can be used instead of the chopped cabbage and tomato mix)
- Hot pepper sauce (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
HOW TO MAKE GARNACHES:
- Heat a frying pan with vegetable oil, add your onions and stir until fully caramelized. Next, add the refried beans into the pan and mix together well. Add black pepper and salt to taste. Remove beans from the fire and turn the stove off. Allow beans to cool down before using it for your garnaches.
- Prepare the green cabbage topping for the garnaches by mixing the cabbage and tomato together in a bowl, and adding cilantro and salt and black pepper to taste. If you prefer, you can replace this topping with pickled onions instead.
- Next, when the refried bean is cooled down, paste a thin layer onto the fried corn tortilla.
- Follow by adding a thin layer of the finely chopped cabbage and tomato mix or the pickled onion.
- Finally, sprinkle grated cheese on top. Add your favourite hot pepper sauce (optional).
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