Refried Beans:

1. Add oil to a pan and once it’s hot, add onions. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add a few splashes of vegetable broth to deglaze.
2. Next, add cooked beans to the pan and chile de arbol along with the rest of the vegetable broth and salt to taste. Turn heat to high until broth is boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for at least 5 minutes.
3. Once it has simmered, mash beans or blend them in a blender. I prefer to blend them to get a creamy texture that spreads easily. Set aside.

Tetelas:

1. Add harina de maíz (masa harina) to a large mixing bowl. Mix well using your hands.
2. Slowly add warm water while mixing with your hand until you get a slightly sticky dough that holds together well.
3. Lightly wet your hands with a small amount of warm water to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.
4. Using your hands, grab about a 1/4 cup size of dough and roll it into a ball. Use your hand to press it a little so it’s a flat dough ball.
5. Cut a piece of plastic or parchment paper to fit your tortilla press. If you don’t have a tortilla press, see above for alternative methods.
6. Place the dough ball on top of the plastic (on the tortilla press), fold the other side of the plastic over to fully cover the dough, and press it into a tortilla!
7. Add a few tablespoons of refried beans and cheese on top of the dough once the tortilla has been pressed but before removing it from the tortilla press. Using the plastic wrap, fold all three sides of the tortilla over the beans/cheese to create a triangle-shaped pocket.
8. Turn a griddle on medium heat and fully heat up before adding tetelas.
9. Place tetela on a flat griddle (comal), and cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side, and 2 minutes on the other. Finally, flip tetela again and cook for another 30 seconds.
10. Place ready-to-eat tetelas in a tortilla warmer to keep them from getting cold.
11. When ready to eat, add salsa, sour cream, and cheese on top.