Aloo Paratha turned Quesadilla!

This is an amazing fusion recipe which combines Indian flavors of Aloo Paratha with Mexican flavors. You can call it twisted aloo paratha or Quesadilla with Indian twist. What’s in the name. Food is only and only about taste and believe me you can’t just have one of these!

This Quesadilla has whole wheat crust and is filled with potatoes and mixed stir-fried veggies and I served them with coriander-mint chutney since I had it on hand. You can substitute that with butter or Mexican salsa or guacamole as well. Anything that goes well with aloo paratha or Quesadilla will do great here. Addition of potatoes to cheese and stir fried veggies gives it a unique taste and all your sensory nerves will be left wanting for more. And did I mention that its a healthy option compared to the traditional Quesadilla? Ohh yes, keep it light on cheese, use whole grain crust and fill it with loads of veggies. It is in fact a complete nutritious meal in itself.

Please see the detailed step by step recipe below. You can increase or decrease the quantity of cheese according to your liking. We both are not very huge fans of cheese, so we kept it light. But, please note that the lesser cheese you use, harder it will be to keep both the tortillas together. 

Recipe – Makes 4

Ingredients

For the tortillas:

• Whole wheat flour
• Water

What goes inside:

• Boiled and potatoes – 1 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Red sliced onions – 1/2 cup
• Sliced cabbage – 1/2 cup
• Sliced capsicum – 1/2 cup
• Ginger paste – 1 tablespoon
• Garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
• Green chili sauce – 1 tablespoon
• Mozzarella Cheese – 1/2 cup
• Olive oil – 2 tablespoons

For coriander chutney

• Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
• Mint leaves – 1 bunch
• Lemon juice – 1
• Green chillies – 4
• Salt – to taste

Method

To make tortillas

1. In a bowl, take the whole wheat flour and start kneading it by slowly adding water. Keep kneading for 5 minutes until you get a smooth and slightly firm dough. Alternatively, use a food processor to knead the dough. Add 1/2 cup of water for every 1 cup of flour.
2. Dust a surface with dry flour. Pinch a tennis ball size ball from the dough and start rolling it in circle using your rolling pin. You should aim for chapati like thickness here which is less than 1/4 inch.
3. Heat a skillet and lightly toast the tortilla on both sides without using any oil. Make 2 of them for 2 half-moon quesadillas.

Next make green chutney

1. Wash and drain coriander and mint leaves.
2. Throw everything listed under coriander chutney in a blender. Add 2 tablespoon water and blend to a smooth green paste.

Now get the filling ready:

1. Heat a pan and add a teaspoon of oil. Add cumin seeds and when they crackle, add the mashed potatoes. Next add turmeric, salt and red chili powder and saute for a couple minutes until you see the potatoes coated with yellow color all over. Remove from heat and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a wok. Add sliced onions, cabbage and capsicum. Keep the heat on medium high. We want slightly burnt flavor here. Add some salt, ginger paste, garlic paste and green chili sauce. Saute on high for 5 minutes until the vegetables start changing color.

How to assemble:

1. Spread some green chutney on one tortilla. Spread some cheese and then add a layer of mashed potatoes.
2. Add a layer of cheese again.
3. Then, add a layer of onions, cabbage and capsicum mixture.
4. Generously sprinkle some more cheese and place the second tortilla on top of it. Press to even out the mixture and carefully transfer to an oiled griddle.
5. Cook the quesadilla from both sides until crispy and slightly browned.
6. Serve immediately with coriander chutney or spicy tomato salsa or guacamole and sour cream.

Your turn now

Have you ever tried making Quesadilla at home? I would love to know about other variations. Please leave a comment below and thanks for visiting my blog!