Originating from the Americas like almost all cacti, nopales, or the pads of the prickly pear cactus, have been a great and important source of nutrition and have been a culinary staple from the time of the Aztecs to even now. This ingredient is such a great source of vitamins and minerals, as well as some fiber, all of which are very important especially when living in the desert, where nutrients are hard to come by. And with how easy it is to grow in low-rain regions, it’s no surprise that this spiky vegetable has been commonly used throughout the history of those living in the Southwest, as well as other arid regions of the Americas.
Safety-wise, while nopales can seem intimidating to cook with, once you remove the dangerous spines, it is just another delicious ingredient to use in your dishes. Also, at many grocery stores, pre-cleaned options are typically available, so if you are still worried about getting splinters, you can use these instead. Though, if you do plan on removing the spines yourself and you accidentally poke yourself, you can use tweezers or sticky tape to remove them or just let them fall out on their own if they’re too small to remove manually.
Nopales, in cooking, have a unique texture and a mild, slightly tangy flavor, making them such a versatile ingredient, able to be used in a variety of dishes. But since most people haven’t tried cooking with this ingredient before, I thought that for our first cactus recipe, we could do a simple one that highlighted the natural flavors of the nopales without adding anything too overpowering. A la Mexicana refers to cooking it with tomatoes, onions, and peppers, which adds depth of flavor to the nopales while still highlighting its own flavors, making this the perfect dish to cook if you’ve never used this ingredient before. But nopales, much like most green vegetables, are able to be eaten raw or cooked, and can be used in a wide variety of dishes, such as tacos, soups, or even smoothies. But they can also serve a supporting role to a main protein, such as being paired with some meat or scrambled eggs.
But regardless of if you enjoy it on its own or pair it with something else, this seemingly intimidating ingredient is actually quite fun to prepare and use and I think it is worth a spine or two in the hand to enjoy the unique texture and flavors of nopales.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 2 (a couple) Nopales (or cactus paddles)
- 1 White onion
- 3-4 Garlic cloves
- Some Poblano peppers (or other peppers you prefer)
- 2-3 Tomatoes
- Some salt
- Some cilantro (optional)
- Some cheese (optional)
- Some corn tortillas (optional)
Step 1: Prepare & Clean Nopales
First, we’ll prepare and clean the nopales so we can safely cook them. So, with a sharp knife and tongs or a glove to keep your hands protected, first cut around the edge about a quarter inch or so to remove the needles on the side of the paddle.
Then, with your knife held perpendicularly, carefully scrape off the needles and dark spots of the cactus by scraping against the grain and then repeat this on the other side.
Then, once your nopales are free of needles, give it a rinse to remove any stragglers and then chop this up into pieces and set this aside while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2: Prepare & Chop Up Rest of Ingredients
For the onion, set a quarter of it aside and then dice the rest of it up into similar sized pieces as the nopales.
Then, for the garlic, save a couple whole cloves but mince the other ones up.
And for the peppers, before dicing these up as well, you may give them a char if you have access to a gas stove or fire, but in either case, chop them up into similar sized pieces also.
And finally for the tomatoes, cube these up as well and then set all of this aside while we first steam the nopales.
Step 3: Cook Nopales Until They Change Color & Liquid Evaporates
Once all of your ingredients are ready, in a medium pot with a lid, warm up half of your oil on medium-high heat and then add in your chopped up cactus, the 1/4 of onion, whole garlic cloves, as well as some salt, and then simmer this with the lid on for about 5 minutes, or until the cactus starts to change color and starts to release its liquid.
Then, remove the lid and allow the slimy liquid to evaporate, stirring every so often to keep it from burning.
Then, once most of the liquid is gone, remove everything from the pot and set the cooked cactus aside while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Step 4: Saute Onions, Garlic, & Peppers; Add in Tomatoes; Then Add Back in Cooked Nopales
In the now empty pot, add in the rest of your oil, along with the already diced onions, garlic, and peppers and then saute this for a few minutes, seasoning with some more salt, as needed.
Then, once the onions and pepper have softened, add in the tomatoes and saute this for another five minutes or so, or until they soften as well.
Then, before adding back in the cactus, you may remove the whole garlic cloves and onion quarter, but if you wish not to waste it, you may dice these up now (or beforehand) and then add them back in along with the cooked nopales, adding some more salt if needed.
Step 5: Mix in Cilantro, Serve w/ Corn Tortillas, & Enjoy!
Let this simmer for another few minutes while you mince up some cilantro. Then, turn off the heat and mix in the cilantro, if desired. Serve this with some warmed corn tortillas, if you wish. And with that, your Nopales a la Mexicana are ready to eat.