Duros

No, there's no such holiday as Seis de Mayo, but yesterday Cinco de Mayo did remind me of a really fun Mexican snack called duros. Duros are made of wheat flour and look like hard, wagon wheel shaped pasta before they're cooked. They're usually deep fried, but can be microwaved (but I tried it and decided they shouldn't be). The reason I say these are fun isn't just because they're delicious and fun to crunch. Most of the real fun comes from watching them quickly puff up about seven times their size (scroll down to see a video of the puffing).

DUROS

canola oil

duros (also called “pasta para duros”)

lime juice

salt
chile powder

1.      Heat oil to 350º - 375º F.  Fry duros until light and puffy (about 5-15 seconds).  Blot on paper towels.

2.      Place duros in a bowl; sprinkle with lime juice, salt and chile powder to taste.

duros in the package
(I can't help but wonder what makes them extra fancy)

You can find these in many Latin markets
(but I bought mine on Amazon.com)

duros (out of the package)

Aside from just wheat flour, duros also contain cornstarch,
salt and baking soda (which helps them expand when cooked)

duros in hot oil

Be careful not to overcrowd the pot. They
expand so much; you won't have room if you do.

fried duros (if your oil is the right temperature, they will puff up very quickly)

 

 The photos can't really capture that magical moment when

the duros puff up, so I felt it was necessary to take a video.

You'll see just how quickly they cook (the entire video is

only 12 seconds long).

Please don't put your duros in the hot oil with your hand (like I did).
Watching the video back I realized just how stupid that was.
I should have used a slotted spoon (or anything without skin really).

limes

duros in bowl, sprinkled with lime juice, salt and chili powder
(don't go too crazy with the lime juice or they'll get soggy)

.