My sweet little Spanish neighbor lady decided to spend the day in her yard, the result, I was given 6 huge Aloe plants and a large shopping bag full of Nopal leaves (the thin young prickly pear pads). She was pleased to tell me to cook them, how healthy they were, and tasty and that we would love them, Enjoy. Of course I smiled, thanked her ever so much and ran strait to the computer. 2 hours later I had stuffed my head full of info on preparing, cooking, serving and eating the cactus.
About 1 1/2 hours later I was disenchanted. I tried 2 different ways of preparation, boiling then pan frying (as per my neighbors enthusiastic directions) and tried breading and baking.
Lucky for me, my family is pretty good about letting me try new and unusual things, all I ask is that they try it and give me honest feedback. 4 taste tests, one at a time by them selves, and I got the same answer. "This tastes like biting into the way an earthworm feels." The taste of the fried ones were very mild, but man the texture was terrible. I had to agree with them. As for the Breaded and baked...I messed it up somehow, it turned out a big gooyee pile of crusty slime. I tasted it anyway. There is no words to describe the holy taste bud terror my mouth felt.
Well as I still have a drawer full of pads (Almost 3 lbs) I come to you all in hopes someone might have had better experiences with this. 3rd times a charm right? Maybe there is a better use than eating? (I might just plant a few and harvest the fruits.)
What are your experiences with Nopal?
What are your favorite tried and true recipies?
Is there many other Nopal uses? Dehydrated? Ground? Medicinal?
It seems kind of a shame to waste what could be a valuable addition to dietetic diversity. Then again. . . my poor taste buds.
Replies
You can also dredge the strips in salt for a little while to leach out the sliminess. Then rinse and pat dry before using.
My favorite way to prepare them, is to make cactus fries.
After removing the slime, I toss them in an egg wash, then dredge in a combo of bread crumbs and flour, seasoned with S&P and cayenne pepper. Then quickly fry in some very hot peanut oil.
Probably undoes any healthy benefits though. ;c )
Heather,
Nopalitos are a treat in our home. I agree with Melva, you have to eat them a few times to really enjoy their flavor. I enjoy eating them in a salad. You clean them carefully, cut them in strips, boil them in salt water with onions and garlic for at least 20-30 minutes, until they are tender. Taste them until you like the texture. There will not be much in flavor at this time. Chop some fresh cilatro, fresh jalapenos, tomatoes, onions. Add Feta cheese olive oil (Tbsp) and lemon juice right before eating them otherwise they start getting too mushy. Add salt and pepper to your liking. You can also add some cooked nopales in your eggs. Once they are boiled you can add them to your dishes. They are like green beans to me because I cut them in long strips. LOL Hope you keep trying.
I am so sorry you had such a bad experience with the Nopales. I think it is an aquired taste. Being that I grew up eating nopales here in the southwest, my mother fixed them many ways as they are a good source of greens, fiber, and are believed to be good for diabetes. First you have to peel the stickers( not very fun) but to me., it is worth it!! then you cut in cubes, then you boil them with garlic and a piece of onion. After that you saute in olive oil and more garlic, onion.
They are ready to use in a dish. I usually make a salad with the nopales , tomatos, onion, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and parmesan cheese. You can make tacos with whatever meat you like or with pinto beans. I also make a red chile casserole, nopales, and chopped beef...yummy. Nopales are kind of like tofu you have to fix them up for flavor!
Good luck!!