This homemade Indian Fry Bread is fried until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Try it with honey or make it a meal and serve Navajo Taco style: open-faced with beans, meat, hot sauce, and cheese.
Add flour, salt, and baking powder to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Now add the water, a bit at a time while stirring. Gather into a dough with your hands, squeezing a bit to disperse the flour.
Place a slightly damp cloth or plastic wrap over the bowl. Rest for 1-2 hours.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Flour a work surface and roll until 1/4" thick (or shape with your hands). Keep the dough covered to prevent if from drying out.
Pour vegetable oil into a skillet so that the depth is about 1 1/2". Warm over medium heat. Tear off a tiny piece of dough to test the temperature. It's ready when the dough bubbles right away (350°F).
Gently lay a piece of dough in the hot oil and rotate it with tongs when it's golden and puffy. Cook the other side for a couple minutes, just until golden brown. Set on a tray lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
Top with honey and powdered sugar (elephant ears) or serve as a Navajo taco (see notes).
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Notes
Navajo Taco: Top with any of these or all of them...beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa, meat, sour creamBarbecued Pork with New Mexico Chiles:Season 1 pound pork (country ribs or pork shoulder) generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Prepare a fire and smoke the pork for at least 5 hours.Chile Sauce:Toast 3 New Mexico red chile peppers in a hot skillet for 10 seconds. Blend with 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 minced clove garlic. Pour the sauce into a baking dish. Add the barbecued pork and warm in the oven (275 degrees F) for 1 hour (or longer if you want a softer texture).Re-warming or Make Ahead:You can make the frybread a few hours ahead and then reheat them in the oven for a minute at 275 degrees F.