Indian Fry Bread and Indian Taco Recipe:

Step 1

Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl.  Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump.

Step 2

Flour your hands well.  Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball.  You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it.  Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked.  The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured.  Cut the dough into four (pieces.  Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter. Do not worry about it being round.  As Grandma Felipa would say “it doesn’t roll into your mouth.”

Step 3

In a deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F.  You can check if you oil is hot enough by either dropping a small piece of dough in the hot oil and seeing if it begins to fry, or by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in and seeing if that bubbles.  Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in a large cast-iron skillet or other large heavy pot.

Step 4

Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take approximately 3 to 4 minutes to cook. Place the cooked Fry Bread on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Step 5

Indian Fry Bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Step 6

Different ways to eat and serve Indian Fry Bread:

Step 7

Eat them as they come out of the fryer

Step 8

Mix softened butter and honey together and spread it on top

Step 9

Sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture

Step 10

Sift powdered sugar on top

Step 11

Make the famous Indian Taco (see below) and stack with your favorite taco ingredients

Step 12

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, brown ground meat and onions until cooked; remove from heat.

Step 13

Place Fry Bread, cupped side up, on separate plates.  Layer ground meat, lettuce, tomatoes, Cheddar cheese, and green chile peppers onto top of each Fry Bread.  Top with sour cream, if desired, and either roll up or serve open-faced with a fork.

Step 14

Makes 4 servings.