1 sm. onion, peeled and quartered
1 sm. sweet red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
12 oz. (1 1/2 c.) Farmer cheese, cut into 6 pieces, room temperature
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 lg. eggs, separated
1 tsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
12 corn tortillas
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Chirmol Sauce (recipe follows)
2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Use the metal blade of a food processor to chop the onion coarsely, pulsing 4 to 6 times. Add the red pepper and pulse 3 or 4 times or until chopped to a medium coarseness. Add the Farmer cheese and pepper; pulse 10 to 12 times to mix. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork. Add the flour and beat until blended. Set aside. With a wire whisk or an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the reserved egg yolk mixture. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved cheese mixture in the center of each tortilla and fold in half. (Do not worry if the tortillas crack.) Set aside. In large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Dip the filled tortillas in the reserved egg batter and with a table knife spread the batter evenly over them. Cook a few at a time, without crowding, in the hot oil until lightly browned (about 1 minute) on each side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

In a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish, arrange the fried tortillas, overlapping, in a row. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the Chirmol Sauce in a strip down the center and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until slightly crisp.

Just before serving, heat the remaining Chirmol Sauce over low heat. Garnish the baked tortillas with the minced cilantro and serve with the warm sauce. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

CHIRMOL SAUCE:

1 med. garlic clove, peeled
1 sm. onion, peeled and quartered
1 (28 oz.) can Italian peeled tomatoes, drained
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar

Use the metal blade of a food processor and with the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube and process until minced. Add the onion and pulse 4 to 6 times to chop it coarsely. Add the tomatoes and pulse 2 or 3 times or until coarsely chopped. Add the water, salt, and sugar; pulse 2 or 3 times to mix. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and simmer over moderately low heat for 10 minutes.

Return the mixture to the food processor bowl and use the metal blade to process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Return to the saucepan and simmer over moderately low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and is no longer watery. Makes about 2 cups.