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Only few days are left for Christmas. Cakes and cookie making is on full swing in almost every kitchen. It is easily understandable that ‘Cook of the House’ is exhausted. But this kind of silly excuse is neither acceptable to the tummies or the hearts. After all Yeh Dil Mange More and honestly we live to eat 😉
I was in an urgent need of a new, delicious yet easy and ofcourse quick recipe and the Internet was there as always for me 😉 This time my trip was to Mexico again. I think I should visit this country once at least. I share so much love for their food that I’m sure I would love to be there as well. Dreams after Dreams!!! Anyways, my today’s pick is Quesadilla.
Quesadilla is a folded tortilla filled with veg or non-veg stuffing with cheese. Traditionally Mexican quesadilla is shaped as half moon. But sometimes it is served as quarters too. Tortilla is flat Mexican bread made of flour and corn. As a filling traditionally veggies and chicken or fish is used. But these days almost anything is served as filling. Cheese is another dominating ingredient in Mexican Cuisine. Be it Quesadilla or Enchilada cheese is always there; either as filling or topping.
This quesadilla has become so popular that different cultures have adapted it in their cuisine with their own local ingredients. As the filling can be made with anything I decided to take the risk of experimenting with it. I picked sautéed chicken and eggplant and combined it with mustard sauce and green chili. It might sound quite odd but at the end of the day my casserole and plates were completely neat and clean. I hope this is enough evidence to promote this dish as superlicous one.
So here is the recipe of Chicken Eggplant Quesadilla with Mustard Sauce.
What we need:
Chicken eggplant stuffing with mustard sauce: 2 cups
Tortilla: 6 (this will yield total 12 pieces)
Salsa sauce: as per serving
Tomato Salsa: as per serving
Cheese: 1 cup
Ingredients for stuffing:
Skinless, boneless chicken breast: 2, about 250 gms,
Eggplant: 1, small to medium
French beans: handful
Fresh green chili: handful, depending on your taste-buds
Fresh mustard sauce/ paste: ¼ cup (See Tips)
Nigella seeds: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: a pinch of
Salt to taste
Sugar: ½ tsp to balance
Oil
Fresh coriander leaves: handful
Preparation of stuffing:
Peel the skin off the eggplant and make small cubes of it.
Smear the eggplant with turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt.
Finely chop french beans and green chilies.
Wash and clean the chicken and make small bite size pieces.
Take a non-stick wok and heat oil in it. Sauté the eggplant pieces until eggplant is soft. Once done remove the eggplants from the oil.
In the same oil add chopped green chili and nigella seeds. allow them to crackle.
Add chicken pieces and French beans.
Sauté for 5-7 mins or chicken is almost done.
Add pre-cooked eggplant and mix.
Pour the mustard sauce/paste with ½ cup of warm water and allow the mixture to be flavored with the sauce.
Once oil floats on the top add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
Remove immediately to a bowl. Otherwise the gravy will be dry.
Ingredients for tomato salsa:
Tomato: 1, large
Onion: 1, small to medium
Fresh green chili: 2-3
Coriander leaves: handful
Lemon juice: 3-4 tsp
Salt: ½ tsp
Sugar: ½ tsp
Preparation for tomato salsa:
Finely chop onion, tomato, green chili and coriander leaves.
Take a large salad bowl. Mix all the ingredients.
Toss well. Keep aside for 15-20 mins to allow the veggies to absorb the flavors.
Serve it with the Quesadilla.
Assembling the Quesadilla:
Take tortilla on the kitchen counter.
Fold it to half. Don’t tear it apart. Place 2-3 tbsp of stuffing in a half. (See Tips)
Sprinkle some cheese on it. close the fold. Press it down little.
Follow the same with remaining 5 tortillas.
Line the tortillas in a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Bake the tortillas for 8-10 mins.
Remove from the pan and cut into halves to serve.
Serve hot with Tomato Salsa, Salsa Sauce and Coriander/ Cilantro Sauce.
Tips:
1. If mustard sauce is not available use homemade by crushing mustard seeds into powder in a dry grinder and add little water to make thick paste of it.
2. If you want you can place one tortilla as base and place the filling on it. Spread it evenly. place another tortilla on it. Bake and cut into quarters to serve.
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