Soft Mexican Tacos: 30-Min Recipe

MasterChef 4 contestants Pratibha Kochar and Bhakti Arora offer a spicy Indian-style recipe for Soft Mexican Tacos, the beloved Mexican street food.  

Ingredients

For the tortillas

• 1 cup maida or refined flour
• ¼ cup rice flour
• 3 tbsp oil

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• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• ½ tsp salt
• A little water, to knead the dough

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For the refried beans

• 1 cup rajma or kidney beans, soaked, boiled
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

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• 3 pods garlic, finely chopped
• ½ tsp jeera or cumin powder
• 1 tsp allspice powder, available for purchase online
• ½ tsp oregano

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• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• A handful fresh green dhaniya or coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped
• Salt to taste; about ½ tsp
• 2 tbsp oil

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For the fruit salsa

• 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
• ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper or capsicum
• 2 red plums, finely chopped

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• ½ cup finely chopped green apple
• ¼ cup chopped fresh green dhaniya or coriander leaves or cilantro
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp

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For the cheesy sauce

• ½ cup fresh cream
• ½ cup grated processed cheese
• Pinch salt

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For the garnish

• A few spring onion greens

Method

• Mix the ingredients for the fruit salsa in a bowl and keep aside.

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For the tortillas

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into a firm dough.
  Roll out small portions of the dough into small 6-inch round rotis/tortillas.
• Heat a griddle or tawa over medium heat and roast the tortillas, both sides and keep aside for for assembling the soft tacos.

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For the refried beans

• Heat the oil in a saucepan, over medium heat and add the chopped garlic; sauté for a minute.
  Add the onions and saute till translucent.
  Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  Add the allspice, cumin, chilly powder, oregano, salt, kidney beans, chopped coriander, mix well, take off heat, keep aside.

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For the cheesy sauce

• Heat the cream in a small frying pan over low heat.
  When it starts to bubble from the sides, add the grated cheese, salt and mix till the cheese melts.
  Keep aside.

Method, continued

• Place a tortilla on a flat surface and add 2-3 tbsp refried beans in the centre.
  Pour some cheese sauce over.
  Fold the tortilla in half and top with fruit salsa, more cheese sauce, chopped spring onion greens.
• Repeat the process for the balance tortillas; Serves 2-3.