If you’ve been following my stories on @thechutneylife, you know my summer has been filled with tostadas and chaat! Two things that have been on repeat for good reason- they’re fun and delicious but also quite simple (but still wow) to serve to guests. I    especially love these tostadas because frying them up at home has been a game changer compared to the store bought ones that really don’t lend much flavor. I  had no idea how easy it was to do at home! Really, you just have to brave the fear of hot oil and you’re good to go!

What to know before you make this recipe:

I    use Mission White Corn Tortillas for these tostadas and they work great.  You simply place a bunch of tiny slits in the tortilla so they get crispy and don’t get too many air bubbles during the frying process and then immediately salt them when they come out of the oil! I  store them in an airtight container/bucket and they last for a couple weeks! You can also use a cookie cutter to cut out smaller circles from the tortillas for a more bite sized appetizer!

The topping on this tostada is simply my Chipotle Jalapeño Sauce mixed in with a bag of shredded coleslaw (cabbage) mix but you could also use my Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce instead! Both would be delicious! If I  were you,  I’d double up the sauce recipe so you have plenty !

How to Serve this to Guests:

  1. Two days ahead you can fry the tostada shells and make the chipotle sauce.
  2. The day you’re hosting, make the beans and chop up any toppings like sliced jalapeños, or cilantro for garnish  etc.
  3. When I’m ready to serve to guests I    heat the beans on the stove, arrange all the tostada shells on a few baking pans and top them with beans, cheese and then place them in the oven for 2-3 minutes on low broil to let the cheese melt.
  4. Then remove from the oven, top off with the slaw and serve (in my house I  just yell “tostadas are ready!!” and everyone comes flocking to me lol)

I    hope you all enjoyed this recipe and if you do make it, send me a picture or tag me over on @thechutneylife ! Happy Eating 🙂

Spicy Bean Tostadas with Chipotle Slaw

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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Servings 12 Tostadas

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup jarred salsa like Pace Picante Salsa
  • 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 3-4 green chilis, finely chopped ( I prefer to use the small green thai chilis) Use more or less based on your spice level.
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup +2 Tbsp sour cream
  • 1 tsp red chili powder (or based on your spice preference)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 12-14 White Corn Tortillas
  • oil for frying

For the slaw:

  • 14 oz bag Coleselaw Mix (or about 2 cups of shredded cabbage)
  • 1 cup diced scallions
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1 serrano pepper, finely diced (optional)
  • zest of 1 lime

Chipotle Jalapeno Sauce (for the slaw):

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayo
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 chipotle in adobo peppers (from canned chipotle peppers)
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder/cayenne pepper

Toppings:

  • 16 oz shredded mexican cheese (or more as needed)
  • sliced jalapenos, pico de gallo & crumbled queso fresco (optional toppings)

Instructions
 

Frying the Tortillas:

  • I used Mission White Corn Tortillas and love them. Take each tortilla and with a small knife cut about 1/4 inch slits all over the tortilla. This helps it from puffinf up in the hot oil and will result in a crispy tostada shell.
  • Heat about 1.5 inches of oil in a small over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot (test by dropping in a piece of the tortilla to see if it floats up quickly) carefully add in one tortilla at a time, using your spatula to hold the tortilla under the oil. Fry until slightly golden, remove from oil on to a paper towel and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat until you have fried all your tortillas. Alternatively you can purchase ready made tostada shells.
  • Tostada shells can be stored in an airtight container for upto two weeks.

Make the Beans:

  • In a food processor combine the following and blend until smooth: pinto beans, black beans, 2 tbsp taco seasoning and 1/2 cup salsa. Set aside
  • In a large pot over medium high heat add 2 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and after a few seconds add the green chilis, stir, and add the diced onions. Add a small pinch of salt to the onions and cook until they are golden at the edges and translucent overall. Next add the beans, red chili powder, cumin podwer and cilantor. Reduce heat to low and cook the beans for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally so they do not stick.
  • Next add the sour cream and cilantro, stir well and turn the heat off.

Make the Chipotle Jalapeno Slaw:

  • In a small food processor combine all of the ingredients under Chipotle Jalapeno Sauce until it is smooth. Set Aside.
  • Combine the Coleslaw mix with the scallions, cilantro , serrano pepper, and lime zest
  • When ready to serve, mix a handful of the slaw with a few spoons of the chipotle jalapeno sauce in a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Next add a big spoonful of the slaw on to each tostada. Continue to make the slaw in small batches so it does not get overly soggy. You can make one big batch if you plan on serving all of it at once!

Assembling the Tostadas:

  • Turn the oven on to a "low broil" mode.
  • Heat the beans on the stove and spread the hot beans over each tostada shell carefully. Top with a handful of shredded mexican cheese and place the tostadas in the oven for just about 2 minutes so the cheese melts.
  • Remove from oven. Top off with the slaw and enjoy!!

Notes

The beans and chipotle sauce can be made 2-3 days ahead.
The tostadas can be fried about 1-2 weeks ahead but will taste best the fresher they are. You can also purchased ready made store bought tostadas.