Tortilla Bats with Black Bean Dip
Black beans make a dip the colour of a moonless night — the perfect sky for a colony of bats. The bats are stamped from tortillas and crisped in the oven with butter and chilli while the dip spins in the processor. Children eat both; grown-ups ask for the dip.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 9 min
- Total
- 34 min
- Servings
- 8
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 230 kcal
Ingredients
Dip
Bats
Makes: 1 bowl of dip and 8 tortillas of bats, 8 servings
Shopping list
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Method
Oven
175 °C · top and bottom heat, no fan
With a fan: 155 °C
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Step 1: Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
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Step 2: Cut the bats
Press a bat cutter onto a tortilla and roll a rolling pin over it so it cuts right through. Each tortilla gives 2–3 bats.
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Step 3: Brush and season
Mix the melted butter with the oil, brush the bats on both sides and lay them on the sheets. Sprinkle with chilli and salt.
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Step 4: Bake
Bake for 8–9 minutes, swapping the sheets halfway, until the edges are golden. They crisp further on a rack.
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Step 5: Blend the dip
Put the beans, garlic, cumin, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a food processor. Add the warm water and blend until smooth.
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Step 6: Serve
Spoon the dip into a bowl, stand a few bats in it and scatter the rest around.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Bake the tortilla scraps too — plain chips for whoever misses out on a bat.
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Variation
For sweet bats, brush with butter and dust with 2 tbsp sugar mixed with ½ tsp cinnamon instead of chilli.
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Storage
The dip keeps 3 days in the fridge; the bats keep 2 days in an airtight tin.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 8 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 230 kcal | 1,840 kcal |
| Protein | 9 g | 72 g |
| Fat | 7 g | 56 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g | 264 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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