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Enchilada Casserole

April 23rd, 2007

Last weekend, I had prepared a spicy-cheesy layered enchilada casserole for dinner with the left over corn tortillas used for preparing mexican tacos. I was inspired by this mexican lasagna and a chicken gravy enchilada casserole recipe and made an amalgamation of sorts using mixed vegetables and left over chicken curry which were all pretty much tossed together to serve as a filling for the tortillas. A perfect kid pleaser, delicious and an ultimate comforting casserole.

You can modify the recipe to suit your family’s taste buds with endless combinations. These enchiladas filled with a flavorful combination of ingredients, layered with white sauce, a tangy homemade tomato salsa, finished with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese and baked, makes for a hearty dinner.

Enchilada Casserole Recipe

Prep & Cooking: 45 mts, baking: 40 mts

Serves: 4-5 persons

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

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Ingredients:

8 corn or flour tortillas roasted on both sides (I used corn tortillas)

1/4 cup thick buttermilk (whisked well)

1 cup home made salsa
1 cup white sauce

1/2 cup grated cheese

For filling:

1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (onions, carrots, beans, baby corn, capsicum, cabbage)

1 tomato chopped

1/4 cup boiled sweet corn

left over chicken curry (or cooked shredded boneless chicken) - optional

1 tbsp worchestershire sauce

3-4 tbsps coriander leaves or parsley finely chopped

dried red chilli flakes for seasoning

salt to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

For white sauce:

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp maida

1 cup milk (at room temp)

1 tbsp grated cheese

salt

pepper to taste

dried parsley (optional)

How to prepare corn tortillas or flour tortillas

1 Saute the mixed vegetables in olive oil for 2-3 mts. Next add the tomatoes, sweet corn, left over chicken curry (remove bones if any), worchestshire sauce, chopped parsley and combine well and cook for 2-3 mts. Season with salt and red chilli flakes or pepper. Turn off heat and cool. Filling is ready. Keep aside.
2 Prepare the white sauce. Heat a cooking vessel and on low flame, add the butter and let it melt. Add maida and keep stirring using a hand whisk over a low flame till well blended. Slowly add the milk, stirring continuously. Add cheese and parsley. Increase the heat to medium and continue to stir until you have a nice smooth consistency sauce. Once in a while, remove the vessel away from the heat for a few seconds and place it back while stirring. Season with salt and pepper.
3 Prepare the tortillas, roll them into small rotis, approx 5″ in diameter. Roast them on both sides, drizzle some olive oil and roast till brown specks appear.
4 Dip each roasted tortilla into the thick buttermilk till coated on both sides. Place about 2 heaped tbsps of the filling in the middle of each tortilla and fold into half and place it carefully fold side down in a wide shallow square shaped casserole. Repeat with rest of the tortillas and place them side by side as shown in the picture.

5 Now spread the white sauce over all the tortillas covering the entire casserole, followed by home made salsa and then sprinkle grated cheese all over. Seal with alumunium foil.
6 Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees C for 30 mts or till the cheese melts. Bake uncovered without foil for another 10 mts. Let it stand for 10 mts and serve hot.

Tortillas with filling, topped with white sauce, salsa and grated cheese before baking

Note:

You can use any type of filling - vegetables or meat based and top with cheese.

Read about Tex-Mex favorites at All Recipes

Tags: casserole, enchilada, mexican cuisine, tortilla

Posted in All Recipes, Non-Vegetarian Recipes, Pasta & Baked Recipes | 15 Comments »

Mexican Tacos

April 18th, 2007

My son, Nehal relishes his favorite Mexican snack - tacos and I set myself the task of preparing home made taco shells right from scratch using corn tortillas, loaded with a delicious paneer-vegetable-baked beans filling as a tea-time snack and use the left over tortillas to prepare enchilada casserole for dinner. The tacos I prepare at home are Mexican inspired and are no where authentic.:).

Its a simple recipe but does call for quite a bit of preparation work. First I prepared the corn tortillas, the recipe of which I had blogged earlier, and used these tortillas to prepare taco shells, using a taco mould. I bought a very convenient custom made aluminium taco mould/maker with a long wooden handle for Rs.120 (approx $ 2.70) from a cookware store in Vizag.

Taco mould (custom made at a cookware store)

Mexican Tacos Recipe

Prep & Cooking: 45 mts, cooking: 15 mts

Cuisine: Mexican

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Ingredients:

For filling:
1 1/2 cups chopped mixed vegetables (onions, carrots, beans, baby corn, capsicum, cabbage)

2 tomatoes chopped

3/4 cup grated paneer

3-4 tbsps coriander leaves or parsley finely chopped

pepper pwd or dried red chilli flakes for seasoning

salt to taste

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

home made tomato salsa

home made sour cream (optional)

1/2 cup baked beans (optional)

For tacos:

rolled out corn tortillas

taco mould/maker

oil for deep frying

1 Saute the mixed vegetables in olive oil for 2-3 mts. Next add the grated paneer and saute further for a minute. Turn off heat and cool.
2 Combine the sauteed vegetables-paneer, tomatoes, salt and pepper/red chilli flakes. Filling is ready.

Tomatoes, cabbage, capsicum, sweet corn, carrot, onions, paneer, green peas, baby corn and grated paneer

How to prepare corn tortillas at home

3 To prepare the tacos, roll out corn tortillas into small rotis or approx 6″ in diameter. Use a fork to prick lightly on the rolled out tortillas.
4 Heat enough oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel. Once hot, slide a tortilla into the oil and immediately place the bottom of the taco mould on the center of the tortilla and press gently into the oil and hold for 12-15 secs. You will find that the tortilla takes the shape of the mould and forms a cup.

5 Remove the mould and cook the shell all over till golden brown. Drain and remove. Prepare with the rest of the tortillas.

6 Now fill the taco shells with 2 tbsps of the paneer-vegetable filling. Top with a tbsp of baked beans followed by a tbsp of salsa, a tbsp of sour cream and garnish with parsley. Crunchy crisp tacos with a delicious filling are ready to be devoured!

Note:

You can use any type of filling - vegetables or meat based and top with cheese.

Read more about Mexican Tacos
Interesting article on the history of tortilla and taco

Posted in All Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes, Appetizers & Starters, Flour Recipes, Savories & Snacks Recipes | 24 Comments »

Chettinad Style Chicken Curry

April 16th, 2007

I first had this fiery, deeply flavorful chicken dish as a friend’s home along with dosas and ever since hooked to it. I was told it’s a traditional Chettinad chicken curry and that there are quite a few variations to this recipe. In today’s version, chicken is simmered in coconut milk and gets its unique flavor from a blend of quite a few spices like fennel seeds, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, pepper corns, cardamoms and cumin to name a few.

Quite a bit of preparation goes into the making of this curry and there is no short cut method and if you have the time and the ingredients on hand, only then venture to prepare and please don’t compromise with the ingredients if you want that authentic chicken curry flavor.

Chettinad Style Chicken Curry Recipe

Recipe source: Revathi Aunty

Prep: 20 mts, Cooking Time: 25 mts

Serves 5-6 persons

Cuisine: South Indian

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Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces

1 cup small onions, shallots (sambar onions)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

10-12 curry leaves

1 cup coconut milk (extract from 1/2 coconut)

fresh coriander leaves for garnish

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Make a paste:

2 green chillis

8 garlic flakes

1″ ginger

1 tsp poppy seeds (soak in warm water for 10 mts)

Roast and make a powder:

1/2 tsp pepper corns

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 tsp fennel seeds

1 1/2 tbsps coriander seeds

6-8 dry red chillies

2 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon

6-7 curry leaves

1/2 tsp oil

1 Drizzle a vessel with oil and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, red chillis, cardamoms, cinnamon and curry leaves on medium heat stirring constantly for 2 mts. Remove from fire, cool and grind to a powder.
2 Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. Keep aside.
3 Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the small onions and curry leaves and saute till transparent.
4 Add the ground paste and cook for a minute before adding the chicken and cook on high heat for approx 4 mts and do stir the chicken once in a while.
5 Reduce to medium heat, add salt, turmeric pwd and tomatoes and combine well. Let the chicken cook in this for 4-5 mts, uncovered.
6 Now add the coconut milk and transfer the contents to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 mts or until one whistle. Open lid and combine well.
7 Finally add the ground masala pwd and cook for 3 mts. Turn off heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
8 Serve hot with white steamed rice, biryani, chapatis or dosas.

courtesy by...
SAGAR RESTUARANT

Sagar Restaurant offers an extensive choice of traditional Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian cuisine together with new mouthwatering recipes, but if you have a preferred dish that isn't on the menu, please don't hesitate to ask the management who will be more than happy to have our chef specially prepare it for you. We provide 100% halal meat.

Location: Sagar Restuarant

168-25B, Hillside Avenue,
Jamaica, New York 11432
PHONE: 718-298-5696
718-657-2855
718-213-4338(for catering only)
Web Site: www.sagarfood.com

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