Originating in colonial Spanish Mexico, quesadillas are traditionally made with soft corn tortillas, cooked on a comal (the Mexican version of the tawa, or griddle pan) and filled with Oaxaca cheese. The dish varies by region: in north Mexico, the dish is made with wheat tortillas (which are very similar to rotis, or flatbreads), while in Mexico City, quesadillas are conventionally served with vegetable and/or meat fillings, but without cheese.

In the United States, particularly in the Southwest, where American-influenced Mexican cuisine is highly popular, traditional Mexican cheeses with milder tastes are eschewed in favour of cheeses more popular in the US, such as cheddar or Monterey Jack, and are usually filled with green peppers, beans and some kind of meat (usually chicken or beef).

The reason for the quesadillas’ popularity could be down to its simplicity. Flatbreads stuffed with fillings have, after all, always been the go-to street-food fare around the globe: from arepas in northern South America to dhalpuris in the Caribbean, to stuffed parathas and naans in our part of the world. And for good reason: what is more delicious than a hot, crispy dough shell with a spicy filling?

A Mexican twist on the stuffed paratha, filled with beef, chickpeas, potatoes, a medley of vegetables, only cheese or anything else you prefer

Chicken Quesadillas

As such, all that is needed for a quesadilla is a flatbread and some kind of filling. Want a more desi twist to the quesadilla or don’t

have time to make the tortillas? Simply substitute with either a paratha or roti (for a healthier version).

Can’t find chipotle sauce? Replace with any chilli sauce you prefer. While I’ve made this with chicken, feel free to play around — quesadillas can be filled with beef, chickpeas, potatoes, a medley of vegetables, only cheese or anything else you prefer.

Ingredients

For the chicken

½ kg chicken breast or leg 1 tablespoon soya sauce ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli sauce 2-3 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon shredded ginger 1 bay leaf

For the sauce

4 tomatoes 1 onion 1 teaspoon or to-taste salt 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste 2 tablespoons of chipotle chilli sauce 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander Cooking oil, as needed For the tortillas (Makes about 8-10) 2 cups white flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup cooking oil or as needed ¾ cup water or as needed

For the quesadillas

1 cup black beans (or any kind of beans you prefer) 1 green pepper/shimla mirch, diced ½ onion, finely sliced ½ kg shredded chicken 1-2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella or any kind you prefer)

Tortillas
Method

1. Make cuts in the chicken breast or leg to ensure better absorption of the spices. In a saucepan or big pot, add all the ingredients and the chicken. Cover with water and boil till the chicken is done. Set aside to cool.

2. Make the sauce. Char the tomatoes and onions on a grill or in an oven. To roast in the oven, simply line a baking tray with an aluminum sheet and place the halved tomatoes and onion on it. Broil for 10 minutes before flipping on the other side and broil for 10 minutes more. To give the broiled vegetables the grilled taste, add them to a pot. Place a small ceramic or steel bowl (a piece of aluminum foil will also do the trick), with a piece of heated charcoal in it, in the middle of the pot. Add a drop of oil and cover the bowl or pot with a lid. ‘Steam’ with coal fumes for a minute or so.

3. Add all the other spices and the charred vegetables to a blender and blitz it all together. Shred the cooled chicken by hand. Heat oil in a pan and add the shredded chicken. Then add the sauce and sauté the mixture.

4. Make the tortillas. Mix all the dry ingredients in a flat bowl (the kind used to make roti dough in would be ideal). Add the water and oil slowly, while rubbing the mixture together until it becomes crumble-like. Add more water as needed and keep on mixing until a dough forms. Knead and stretch the dough for five to 10 minutes.

5. Break off a fistful of the dough and shape into a round ball and put to the side. Repeat until all the dough is used up. Cover and set aside for the dough to rest for an hour or two.

6. Cook the tortillas as you would roti or paratha. Heat up a tawa with a little cooking oil. Lightly dust a patla/rolling board with flour. Flatten one of the round dough balls on it with a rolling pin. Roll back and forth in one direction and then again in a perpendicular direction, until you get a flat, circular shape.

7. Place the tortilla on the tawa until bubbles form. Flip the tortilla and cook until brown spots are formed on both sides.

8. Make the quesadillas. On half a tortilla, add the shredded chicken, diced vegetables, beans, shredded cheese and any other ingredient you wish. Fold the tortilla to enclose the filling. Grill the stuffed tortilla in a pan until it is golden-brown in colour and the cheese is melted. Flip and grill the other side in the same manner. Serve hot with salsa or hot sauce and sour cream.

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 22nd, 2024