Pesto Mushrooms

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8-10

For mushrooms:

10-15 small mushrooms without their stems
1 cup red and green capsicum, baby corn sliced
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp spring onion, finely chopped with leaves
2 tsp pesto sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
Few cherry tomatoes
salt

For garnishing:

8-10 cherry tomatoes
10-15 basil leaves
10-15 black olives
10-15 toothpicks

Method:

Heat the oil. Sauté garlic paste and onion.
Add pesto sauce, salt, black pepper and coriander. Mix well.
Also add the mushrooms, baby corn, capsicum and cook for half a minute. Turn off the flame.
Now add the cherry tomatoes and mix well.

Serving:
Variation I: Take a toothpick. Insert a cherry tomato, a basil leaf and a mushroom. Top this off with a succulent black olive.
Variation II: The recipe can also be served in a plate without using toothpicks.

VEGETABLE QUESIDILLAS

A quick and nutritious version of the famed Mexican starter! Vegetables and cheese make a great filling for these quesidillas.
Ready-made samosa pattis are used in this recipe but you can use tortillas or even left-over chapatis to make this delicious snack.

Preparation Time : 5 mins.
Cooking Time : 8 mins.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

10 samosa patti
butter or oil for cooking

For the filling

1/2 cup thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
12 mm (1/2") piece ginger, grated
1/4 cup boiled and mashed potato
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 tablespoon butter
salt to taste

For serving

tomato ketchup or salsa

For the filling

1. Heat the butter in a pan, add the green chillies, garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add the cabbage, carrots and onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove from the fire, add the potato and cheese and mix well.
4. Divide the filling into 10 equal portions. Keep aside.

How to proceed

1. Spread a portion of the filling on one half of a samosa patti. Fold it into half.
2. Repeat with the remaining samosa pattis and filling.
3. Heat a tava (griddle) and using a little butter, cook the prepared quesidillas on both sides until golden brown in colour.
4. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or salsa.

BEAN AND PAPPER TORTILLA PIZZA

A quick pizza that is prepared without using an oven.
Tortillas or chapatis topped with beans, tomatoes, capsicum and cheese. The trick here is to keep the flame sufficiently low while cooking the pizza so that the chapatis or tortillas get crisp and brown but do not burn.
A great idea to use left-over chapatis.

Cooking Time : 8 mins.
Preparation Time : 6 mins.
Makes 8 pizzas.

Ingredients

4 left-over chapatis or tortillas

To be mixed into a topping

3/4 cup baked beans (canned)
1/2 capsicum, chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
salt to taste

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil or oil
1/2 cup cooking cheese or mozzarella cheese, grrated

Method

1. Heat a non-stick pan, add a little olive oil and place one chapati on it.
2. Spoon ¼ of the topping mixture on top of the chapati and sprinkle with some grated cheese.
3. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a very slow flame till the chapati is crisp and the cheese has melted.
4. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more pizzas.
5. Serve hot.

CORN CHIPS

Cooking Time : 10 min.
Preparation Time : 15 min.

Serves 6.

For the corn chips

100 grams maize flour (Makai ka atta)
50 grams plain flour
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

For serving

3 teacups corn chips
1 teacup salsa dip
1 teaspoon chopped green chillies
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons grated cheese
salt to taste

For the corn chips

1. Mix the maize flour and plain flour with 1 tablespoon of oil and salt.
2. Make a dough by adding hot water. Knead very well.
3. Roll out the dough into small circles with the help of a little plain flour. Prick lightly with a fork.
4. Deep fry lightly in oil.
5. Remove from the oil and sprinkle salt while hot.

How to serve

1. Arrange the corn chips in a plate.
2. Just before serving, spread the salsa dip on top and sprinkle the chillies thereon.
3. Warm the cream and cheese together. Add a pinch of salt and spread over the corn chips.
4. Put under the grill for a few seconds.
5. Serve immediately.

SALSA

Use this as a dip or as a sauce with other vegetables.
Preparation Time : 15 min.
Cooking Time : 5 min
Makes 1 cup.

Ingredients

3 tomatoes
2 teaspoons chillies in vinegar
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 capsicum
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil

Method

1. Put the tomatoes in hot water for about 10 minutes. Remove the skin and chop.
2. Pierce the capsicum with a fork and hold over the flame until the skin blackens. Remove from the heat, rub off the burnt skin and chop.
3. Heat the oil and fry the onion for 1/2 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

CHILLIES IN VINEGAR

Cooking Time : Nil.
Preparation Time : A few min.
Makes 1 cup.

Ingredients

6 to 7 green chillies
1 teacup white vinegar

Method

1. Cut the green chillies and add to the white vinegar.
2. Use as required.

GUACAMOLE (PARTY COOKING)

Preparation Time : 5 min.
Makes 1 teacup.

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
3 spring onions
juice of 1 lemon
a few drops tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to use

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a blender and prepare a smooth sauce.

Tips
Use as required.

GREEN SALSA

GREEN SALSA
Ingredients

3 large green tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
4 to 5 green chillies, chopped
2 teaspoons white vinegar (approx.)
salt to taste

Method

1. Cut the tomatoes into big pieces. Add the onion, green chillies and 1/2 teacup water and cook.
2. When cooked, blend in a liquidiser and strain.
3. Add the vinegar and salt.

MEXICAN BEAN FAJITA

A fajita is a tortilla stuffed with a bean filling with a variety of salsas and then grilled with cheese.
Cooking Time : 10 min.
Preparation Time : 30 min.

Makes 12 pieces.

Ingredients

12 flour tortillas
refried beans
tomato salsa
guacamole
green salsa
grated cooking cheese

Method

1. Spread a little tomato salsa and guacamole or green salsa on each tortilla.
2. Place some bean filling, fold from both the sides and top with some tomato salsa and cheese
3. Grill for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
4. Serve hot.

Refried Beans

REFRIED BEANS
Mexico's famous 'refried beans' aren't really refried at all.

Cooking Time : 15 min.
Preparation Time : 15 min.
Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients

2 teacups red kidney beans (rajma)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 to 3 green chillies, finely chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the beans and soak in water ovenight. Next day, drain.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, green chillies and half the onions and put to cook in a pressure cooker. Drain. Keep aside the drained water.
3. Heat the oil and fry the remaining onions for 1/2 minute.
4. Add the beans, chilli powder, cumin seed powder, sugar, butter and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Mash the beans coarsely.
6. If the mixture is dry, add the drained water.
7. Serve hot

FLOUR TORTILLAS

With the Spanish influence, wheat flour was introduced in Mexico and was quickly used for making tortillas.

Cooking Time : 5 min.
Preparation Time : 15 min.
Makes 12 tortillas.

Ingredients

1 teacup wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
2 teacups plain flour (maida)
4 teaspoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Mix the flours, oil and salt and make a dough by adding enough warm water.
2. Knead the dough well and keep for 1/2 hour. Knead again.
3. Depending on the diameter you require for the dish, roll out the dough into 6" (150 mm.) or 9" (225 mm.) diameter thin rounds with the help of a little flour.
4. Cook lightly on a tava (griddle) and keep aside.

Tips

Make large quantities and freeze in a refrigerator, as tortillas are used extensively in Mexican food.
They should be present at every Mexican meal, served warm, stacked within warm white cloth.
And then placed inside a colourful straw basket.

TEX MEX PIZZA

Using flour tortillas as a base, top with beans, corn and cheese and then grill to make this tasty pizza.

Cooking Time : 10 min.
Preparation Time : 10 min.

Makes 6 pizzas.

Ingredients

12 flour tortillas
refried beans
cooked corn kernels
jalapenos
spring onion, chopped
tomato slices

For the topping

12 tablespoons grated cooking cheese
dried chilli flakes

Method

1. Cook the tortillas on a tava (griddle) on moderate heat until crisp.
2. On top of a tortilla, spread some beans, corn, jalapenos, spring onion and tomato slices. Put another tortilla on top. Cover with 2 tablespoons of the cheese and put below the grill until the cheese melts.
3. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and stuffing.
4. Top with crushed red pepper.
5. Serve hot.






REFRIED BEANS
Mexico's famous 'refried beans' aren't really refried at all.

Cooking Time : 15 min.
Preparation Time : 15 min.
Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients

2 teacups red kidney beans (rajma)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 to 3 green chillies, finely chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the beans and soak in water ovenight. Next day, drain.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, green chillies and half the onions and put to cook in a pressure cooker. Drain. Keep aside the drained water.
3. Heat the oil and fry the remaining onions for 1/2 minute.
4. Add the beans, chilli powder, cumin seed powder, sugar, butter and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Mash the beans coarsely.
6. If the mixture is dry, add the drained water.
7. Serve hot

FLOUR TORTILLAS
With the Spanish influence, wheat flour was introduced in Mexico and was quickly used for making tortillas.

Cooking Time : 5 min.
Preparation Time : 15 min.
Makes 12 tortillas.

Ingredients

1 teacup wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
2 teacups plain flour (maida)
4 teaspoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Mix the flours, oil and salt and make a dough by adding enough warm water.
2. Knead the dough well and keep for 1/2 hour. Knead again.
3. Depending on the diameter you require for the dish, roll out the dough into 6" (150 mm.) or 9" (225 mm.) diameter thin rounds with the help of a little flour.
4. Cook lightly on a tava (griddle) and keep aside.

Tips

Make large quantities and freeze in a refrigerator, as tortillas are used extensively in Mexican food.
They should be present at every Mexican meal, served warm, stacked within warm white cloth.
And then placed inside a colourful straw basket.