Paneer Quesadilla
These quesadillas are made with spicy flavorful scrambled paneer stuffing with aromatics like ginger and garlic filled in tortillas and served with herby cilantro chutney and pickled onions.
Fusion Foods are not a new concept. They have existed since long time. Like Indo-chinese cuisine in India or the Chinese food eaten all over USA and UK. Even lot of Indian food might as well or Tex-mex food. I always talk about culture in my work and how it is ever evolving. Fusion cooking is often practiced by someone practicing living two different culture looking to add our own identity to the culture. If you want to learn more about an article, I came across recently.
These Paneer Quesadillas are inspired from the same idea of assimilation. Even though, they are not different from paneer paranthas where in the paneer will be stuffed inside uncooked flour dough.
We all are familiar with Mexican food and quesadillas are by far the easiest and fun dish to make as an appetizer or sometimes as main dish. They can be assembled quickly.
The filling is made from paneer- its Indian cheese, firm in texture and like tofu. Paneer is not vegan, but you can veganize this dish by using tofu. made scrambled paneer, easier to stuff inside and to eat.
It has a base of usually adapted of Indian subjis. First aromatics are cooked in a oil and cumin seeds, there are some vegetables lie bell peppers, corn and tomato puree included.
This mixture is filled with crumbled paneer and spices. Some of the ingredients are not optional and some I leave it up to you if you don’t want to buy it or think it might a waste of ingredients like kasuri methi, fennel seeds and cardamom powder. But I love adding them as they do enhance the flavors.
I have used store bought corn tortillas. But you can use any type of tortillas. You can even use ready made rotis from Indian stores.
I served them with cilantro chutney and pickled onions. It will taste great with avocado jalapeno sauce, or even ketchup for that matter.
Leftover stuffing can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or even prepared quesadillas can be stored for 2 days and then can be warmed up in a toaster oven or on a griddle.
Paneer Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3/4 cup onion finely chopped
- 2 clove garlic grated
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 3/4 cup bell peppers finely chopped any color of peppers work
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup tomato puree
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp chili powder depending on your tolerance of heat
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin seed powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/8 tsp cardamom powder. Optional
- 2 tbsp kasuri methi optional
- 200 grams paneer about 2 cups
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 4-6 Tortilla medium sized
- Any kind of melting cheese I used Amul
Instructions
- Take some oil in a pan once the oil heats up add some cumin seeds. Let them splutter and immediately add the onions, garlic, green chilies. Let them cook for few minutes until the onions turn soft and translucent.
- Add the bell peppers and corn kernels. Cook for few minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and followed by all the spices and seasonings. Let the flavors come along and the mixture dry out a little bit.
- Add the grated paneer to it. Paneer will soak up all the flavors, juices and mix until you see semi dry mixture. Taste to make sure, seasoning is okay.
- Completely cool the mixture.
- Take each tortilla, brush them up with some oil or butter. Cook them on each side slightly. Then stuff paneer filling on one half- side of the tortilla, and add grated cheese and cover and seal the tortilla into half-moon.
- Cook it until it has brown spots and is crisped up on both sides. Remove them on a cooling rack so that the steam evaporates and keeps them crispy. Finish with rest of the tortillas or the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days transferred to a tight container.
- Serve them with cilantro chutney and pickled onions. It will taste great with avocado jalapeno sauce, or even ketchup for that matter.