Veg Quesadillas

Since I have started baking healthy pizzas, buns and other dishes at home, I never feel comfortable when family suggests going out and eating something. I feel going to Dominos or other places serving Italian or Mexican food as an expensive and unhealthy experience. I know it’s not fair to the family, but I feel when we can make it at home and that too in a much more healthy way and customised according to our taste, why go out and spend so much money? Agreed, all this has increased my slogging

hours in the kitchen, but I do enjoy cooking and serving. But the flip side is that now however busy I am, I have to find time to bake breads regularly in a week.

The other day, we had gone to a restaurant in the city which serves quite authentic Italian and Mexican cuisine. We had ordered these Quesadillas and Neha liked it a lot. So, now obviously, I had to try it out at home and that too in a healthier way if possible. So, here is my take on these Mexican Quesadillas and that too a vegetarian version. It’s actually quite simple. Make some tortilla rotis and stuff it with some filling of your choice, add grated cheese and then cook it on a skillet till it’s crispy. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve it with some tomato salsa. Pair it with a bowl of piping hot soup and your family’s dinner is sorted and that too in a stylish way 🙂 Excited, aren’t you guys?

Moreover, this is quite healthy and a filling dish. There are lot of veggies with the added protein of cooked kidney beans, calcium from the paneer and grated cheese. Feel free to experiment with flavours and veggies. I have used a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Please do remember to knead the flour using warm water. This helps to get crack free rotis.

Ingredients:

For the rotis:

• Maize flour 1/2 cup
• Wheat flour 1/2 cup
• All purpose flour 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil 1 tsp
• Warm water as required

For the filling:

• Grated cheese as required
• Cooked kidney beans/rajma 4 tbsp
• Onion 1
• Tomato 1
• Bell peppers 2
• Salt to taste
• Chili flakes 1 tsp
• Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
• Paneer 100 gm
• Refined oil 1 tbsp

Method:

To make the rotis:

• Mix the flours and salt in a big mixing bowl.
• Add warm water and knead into a soft dough.

• Apply little oil and cover with a wet muslin cloth and allow it to rest for atleast half an hour.
• Make lime sized balls with the dough and roll into thin rotis.
• Cook these on an iron skillet or tawa till it’s almost cooked.

• Store these rotis in a kitchen towel and store in an airtight container.

To make the filling:

• Slice the onion, tomato and bell peppers into thin slices.

• Heat oil in a pan add the chopped onion and bellpeppers. Saute for a while.

• Now add the tomatoes and boiled rajma and toss well.

• Add salt to taste. Sprinkle chili flakes and pepper powder.
• Add some grated or finely chopped paneer and mix well.
• Remove from heat and cool.

To assemble:

• Take a roti and sprinkle grated cheese on half part of it.

• Spread the filling on top of the cheese and sprinkle some more cheese.

• Fold it like the letter “D”. Repeat with the remaining rotis.

• Take a large iron skillet or grill pan and brush it with some oil.

• Place the folded rotis on it and cook on both sides on low to medium heat till it’s a bit crispy.

• If you want, you can sprinkle some more cheese on top.

• Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and serve it hot with tomato salsa and some soup. I had made pumpkin soup.

Notes:

• If you want to make a non vegetarian version, add shredded chicken pieces to the above vegetarian filling. You may omit the kidney beans.