Mango Salsa

Mango Salsa is a Mexican dip recipe. It’s sweet, spicy and absolutely delicious. Serve this fresh and colourful mango salsa with nachos, chips, tacos or grilled chicken or any kind of grilled stuff. This is a salad itself.
This is also the best option to serve with various Indian veg and non-veg snack/kebab dishes.

Ingredients:  

• Mango, diced- 1 cup (from 1 big sized mango) 
• Onion, chopped- ½ cup
• Tomato, chopped- ¼ (remove the seeds and pulp)
• Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped- 1 tsp (I used pickled pepper.)
• Green chilli, finely chopped- 1 (optional)
• Fresh lemon juice- 1 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped- 2 tbsp
• Olive oil- 1 tsp
• Salt and pepper- to taste

Method: 

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.
• Toss very well just before serving.
• Serve this delicious mango salsa with tacos or grilled paneer, chicken or fish dishes.

Mexican Rice

Mexican rice is spicy, delicious and easy to make recipe. This is a great one dish meal which is goodness with proteins and carbohydrates. I served this rice with roasted chicken and they really are the perfect compliment. Taste of this rice satisfies our Indian palate. You can use leftover rice and beans.

Servings:2

Ingredients:

• Cooked long grain rice - approx 1 cup (from ½ cup of raw rice)
• Olive oil or butter- 3 tbsp
• Spring onions's bulbs/white part, sliced- 1 cup
• Spring onions's green part, chopped- ½  cup
• Red bell peppers, cut into cubes- ¼ cup
• Green bell peppers, cut into cubes- ½ cup
• Kidney beans (Rajma), boiled- ¼ cup
• Sweet corn kernels, boiled- ¼ cup
• Tomato- 1
• Tomato ketchup- 1 tsp
• Jalapeno sauce- 1 tbsp or (2 tsp jalapeno pepper or green chili+coriander leaves paste) or 2 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper
• Garlic paste- 1 tsp
• Red chili powder or chili flakes - 1 tsp or to taste
• Taco/Fajita seasoning- 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt- to taste
• Grated cheese for garnishing- as required

Method:

• Cook rice with a pinch of salt. Let it cool. 
• Blend the tomato without water and make a puree.
• Heat the oil in a wok, add and saute sliced a white onion for a while. 
• Add bell peppers and saute for a minute.
• Add rajma and corn, saute for a minute.
• Add tomato puree, garlic paste and jalapeno paste, mix well and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add tomato ketchup, chilli powder, taco seasoning and salt. 
• Add rice and chopped greens of spring onion. Mix well and saute on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
• Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Garnish with grated cheese and serve hot. I served this with Mexican roasted chicken.

Tip:

• You can use french beans, carrots, green peas as per your like.
• You can use chicken also. 

Taco/Fajita seasoning:

Mexican Roasted Chicken with Mexican Salad

Mexican Roasted Chicken is good option to our chicken tikkas sometimes. Beautiful aromas of the spices and herbs will increase your appetite. This new dish will be a  family favorite.

Ingredients:

Chicken- 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces (approx 1 kg)

Marinate-

• Jalapeno Sauce- 4 tbsp or (4 chillies + coriander paste)
• Garlic paste- 2 to 3 tsp
• Chili powder- 2 tsp
• Oregano- 2 tsp
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Vinegar- 1 tbsp
• Salt- to taste

Method:

• Wash chicken pieces and drain all water. Wipe the pieces with a kitchen towel.
• Marinate chicken pieces with above mentioned ingredients for 6 to 24 hours. I keep in a deep freezer. 
• While cooking, put out from the freezer before 1 hour.
• Preheat your oven, grill or bake the chicken for 30-40 minutes on 200°C. Turn side in between.
• Serve hot with salad. I served with Mexican Rice.

Mexican Salad:

• Romaine lettuce, torned- 2 cups
• Onion, sliced- 1 cup
• Tomato, cubed- 1 cup
• Yellow bell pepper, cubed- ½ cup
• Carrot, peeled & cut julienne-  ½ cup 

Dressing-

• Jalapeno Sauce- 2 tsp or (2 tsp chopped fresh or pickled Jalapeno peppers + some chopped coriander + garlic powder or finely chopped garlic)
• White wine vinegar or fresh lime juice- 1 tsp
• Extra virgin olive oil- 2 tsp
• Cumin, coarsely crushed- ¼ tsp
• Oregano- ½ tsp
• Salt and pepper- to taste

Mix all ingredients in the bowl and toss with dressing. 

You can use also olives, cooked beans and cucumbers in this salad.

Paneer Fajita Tortilla

I found fajita seasoning mix in a super market, I was quite eager for this. I knew about tortilla, I also heard  about fajita. But didn’t know properly. So I searched in web.

Fajita is Spanish word; is a term found in both traditional Mexican cuisine and in Tex-Mex cuisine. Traditionally grilled meat has been cooked with onions and bell peppers & served with taco or tortilla. Fajita is type of filling.

Here I made fajita with paneer. Hope you like my version.

Ingredients:

Grated processed or cheddar cheese- 1 cup

Tabasco or any hot chili sauce- as required

For Tortilla-

All purpose flour (maida)- 250 gm

Water- ¾ cup approx.

Salt- a pinch

Oil- as required to knead

For Fajita-

Cottage cheese small cubes (paneer)- 125 gm

Capsicum- 1 cup (cut into ½ inch cubs)

Minced garlic- 2 tbsp

Sliced Onion- ½ cup

Chopped spring onion (green part)- ¼  cup

Chopped spring onion (white part)- ¼  cup

Fajita seasoning mix- 2 tbsp (no need to add salt, it includes salt)

Olive oil or butter- 3 tbsp

For Red Radish Salsa-

Red radishes- 4

Chopped tomato- 1 cup

Sliced onion- 1 cup

Chopped fresh coriander leaves- ¼ cup

Minced garlic- 1 tsp

Chopped pickled jalapeño pepper - 1 tbsp

Balsamic vinegar or any vinegar - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder- 1 tsp

Dried oregano - 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup- 1 tsp

Tabasco sauce or any hot chili sauce- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

For Tortilla-

In bowl, combine flour & salt. Add water slowly slowly & knead pliable dough. Always add water carefully. Add little oil & knead again. Cover & rest it for some time. 

Do eight parts of this dough. Roll out into thick (compare to chapatti) rounds the size of a chapati and roast on a griddle (tawa). Keep aside.

For Red Radish Salsa- 

Wash the all vegetables. Slice the radishes & cut into half. Cut tomato, don’t take pulp. Mix all ingredients in a bowl& keep aside. 

For Fajitta- 

Heat oil in a pan. Add white part of spring onion & garlic. Sauté for 1 min. Add capsicum, onion, paneer & green part of spring onion. Sauté for 2 min.

Add fajita seasoning & mix wll. Sauté for 3 to 5 min on low flame. 

Switch off gas. Paneer fajita is ready.

For Serving-

 Rest the tortilla on plate & spread the fajita in middle of tortilla.

Then put salsa on it, then spread cheese on it, then spread little bit chilly sauce on sides of tortilla (as shown in photo).

Roll the wrap, eat as it is or microwave for 2 min. Serve immediately. 

Notes:

• You can omit the salsa, wrap fajita in tortilla. Traditionally they don’t use salasa with fajita.
• You can use regular salsa instead of red radish salsa. Plz see this link for regular salsa: (http://purvasfoodfunda.blogspot.in/2012/12/bean-tortila-wrap-my-style.html)
• If fajita seasoning is not available, don’t worry. Use following seasoning:(2 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 2 tsp of chilli flex, 1 tsp of black pepper, 2 tsp of dried mix herbs or oregano, ½ of tsp of coriander powder, salt to taste).
• You can serve this fajita with tacos. Use hot sizzler plate to serve.

Bean Tortilla Wrap (My Style)

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner wraps are a great way to give a whole meal. They are portable handful so you can get out the door. It's a real comfort food for me.

Ingredients:

Cheddar or proceed cheese- 1 cup or more as your like

Tomato ketchup- as required

For Dough-

Corn flour (Makki aata)- 1 cup

Plain flour- ½ cup

Whole wheat flour- ½ cup

Red chili powder or chilli flakes- 1 tsp

Dried mix herbs- 1 tsp

Black pepper powder- 1 tsp

Oil as required

Salt to taste

Water- ¾ cup approx.

For Filling-
Kidney beans (Rajma)- 1 cup

Chopped onion- ½ cup

Chopped tomato- 1 cup or tomato puree- ½ cup

Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp

Butter- 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder- 2 tsp

Garam masala powder- 1 tsp (optional)

Salt to taste 

For Salsa-

Chopped tomato- 1 ½ cups

Chopped or diced onion- 1 cup

Chopped  green spring onion- ½ cup

Diced capsicum- ½ cup

Chopped fresh coriander leaves- ¼ cup

Minced garlic- 1 tsp

Minced green chilli- ½ tsp

Chopped pickled jalapeño pepper - 1 tsp

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Vinegar in pickled  jalapeño pepper or any vinegar- 1 tsp

Black pepper powder- ½  tsp

Dried oregano - 1 tsp

Tabasco sauce or any hot chili sauce- 1 tsp (optional)

Salt to taste 

Method:

For Filling-
Soak the beans overnight or 8 hrs with pinch of soda bi-carb, boil them proparly. 
Heat butter and saute the onions till transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste & tomato. Sauté till they soften. Add the beans, salt, chilli powder, garam masala and mix well. Cook till the colour darkens, mashing the mixture as it cooks. Keep aside. 

For Salsa- Mix all ingredients in a bowl& keep aside. 

For Dough-

Mix all the ingredients together and make a soft dough with water. Do apporox. 8 parts of this dough.
Roll out into thick (compare to chapatti) rounds the size of a chapati and roast on a griddle (tawa) without any oil. 

For Serving-
After roasting tortilla, do low flame of gas. Rest the tortilla on griddle & do fast remaining task means….. spread the cheese in middle of tortilla, then put rajama filling on it, then put salsa on it, then spread some tomato ketchup (as shown in photo). If you want more cheese, then spread on upper layer. Wrap it and serve immediately.

I used some spices in dough because we Indians eat daily chapatti or roti & taste of roti is similar to tortilla & I want different taste to my tortilla. I used cheese in bottom layer because cheese melts due to heat of griddle. You can use cheese in upper layer also. You can reheat in oven also.