Torta frita is the smell of rainy afternoons in rural Argentina. Just flour, water, salt, and tallow. It takes forty-five minutes. My grandmother made it every time it rained. Every Argentinian grandmother does.
Torta frita (literally "fried cake") is one of the simplest recipes in Argentinian cooking. It has only four ingredients, takes under an hour, and has an unshakeable cultural association with rainy afternoons. The tradition is so deeply rooted that in rural Argentina, some bakeries display signs on overcast days: "Hay torta frita."
The theory is that people would stay home when it rained and cook whatever was in the pantry. Flour, water, salt, and tallow were always there. The dough is quick to make, and frying in tallow gives the flatbread a distinctive deep flavour that you do not get with vegetable oil.
This recipe makes 12 tortas fritas. Eat them warm with mate, or with a smear of dulce de leche for sweet. Best the day they are made.
Torta frita is traditionally eaten with mate (the hot herbal tea that is Argentina's national drink). The combination is pure comfort. Hot, crisp, and specifically for cold rainy days.
Mate is available at most specialty tea shops and Latin American grocers in Sydney. The Argentinian Market (online) has the best range.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g plain flour
- 250 ml warm water (or more, to achieve right consistency)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp beef tallow or lard (melted and cooled slightly)
For frying
- 500 g beef tallow (or vegetable oil if tallow unavailable)
To serve (optional)
- Granulated sugar, to dust
- Dulce de leche, for spreading
- Salt, for savoury versions
Method
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Make the dough.
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the melted tallow and half the water. Mix with your hands, adding more water as needed, until you have a smooth but soft dough. Knead briefly for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Rest.
Cover with a damp cloth and rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
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Shape.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten and stretch into a disc about 12 cm across and 6 mm thick. Press a hole in the centre of each disc with your thumb. This helps them cook through without puffing up unevenly.
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Heat the tallow.
Melt the tallow in a deep heavy pan. Heat to 180°C (a small piece of dough should sizzle immediately but not burn).
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Fry.
Fry the tortas fritas in batches of 2 to 3, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and puffed. Drain on paper towel.
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Season or serve plain.
For sweet tortas: dust warm with granulated sugar or spread with dulce de leche. For savoury: sprinkle with flaky salt. Eat warm.
Chef's notes.
Tallow makes the difference. Beef tallow gives torta frita its distinctive flavour. Vegetable oil works but tastes generic. Tallow is available at good butchers. Ask for beef fat, or use leftover fat from your next asado.
Thumb-hole in the centre. Without the hole, tortas fritas puff unevenly and can burn on the outside before cooking through. The hole also lets oil flow through for even cooking.
Serve immediately. Torta frita is transcendent warm and straight from the oil. After 30 minutes they start to soften. After 2 hours they are fine but past peak.
Rain required. Optional but traditional.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use oil instead of tallow?
Yes, but the flavour is different. Tallow is traditional and gives a richer, rounder flavour. Vegetable oil or sunflower oil works for frying but produces a blander torta frita.
Are tortas fritas sweet or savoury?
Either. Plain tortas fritas are savoury and eaten with mate. Dusted with sugar or spread with dulce de leche they become sweet. Both are traditional.
Can I make tortas fritas ahead?
Not really. They are best the day they are made. Reheating in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes can revive leftovers but nothing beats fresh.
What is the difference between torta frita and sopaipilla?
Regional. Sopaipillas are the Chilean and Peruvian version, often with pumpkin in the dough and served in a sweet syrup. Argentinian torta frita is plainer and fried in tallow.
Empanadas, the rainy day upgrade.
When flour-water-tallow is not enough, our empanadas go from freezer to hot in 22 minutes. Five flavours, across Sydney.