Shital's-Kitchen: Masala Taco

Friday, May 5, 2017

Masala Taco

I love taco...crisp shell with soft beans, sour cream, guacamole, and favorite pico de gayo (chopped fresh salsa) Perfect combination of textures and flavors my my palate.

And it gets even more interesting with some delicious Indian flavors!! I had so much fun creating it....keeping all the taco components, here is an Indian version of a crisp and delicious taco. Also, these non GMO blue corn taco were very interesting to not pick up from sprouts market. Just warming a bit it the oven (350 F for 5-7 minutes) makes them crisp and tasty. This Masala Taco was a winner in my family!! Can't exlain how much fun it was to watch my husband relish it, and was surely nutritious for my waistline :)

The protein in my taco come from Indian flavor black urad dal which is also call 'Ma Ki Dal'. This spicy dal is often made in my kitchen and served with tandoori roti or rice. With great amount of protein and fiber, this is perfect for my vegetarian diet. Check out the benefits of this dal.

1/4 cup urad dal
2 cups water
2 tsp. oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 chopped tomato
Chopped green chili (optional)
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 inch ginger chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp chili powder
Pinch of turmeric
3/4 tsp. garam masala

Wash and soak urad dal for 3-4 hours. Pressure cook for 2-3 pressure whistles or till done.
Heat oil in a pan, saute onions. When onions are pink and soft, add tomatoes. Mix well
Add salt, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, chopped ginger and chopped garlic. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes till soft.
Add cook urad dal/black dal. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes to blend all the spices and flavors. Turn of the heat and garnish with cilantro.
Leave it aside in a bowl to cool down a bit.

The other important component of Mexican food is fresh avocado guacamole. We just love fresh guac. on burrito, taco, or just with chips :) For my masala taco I made an Indian version of guac: Avocado chutney. I mashed 2 avocados, add some salt, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. homemade garlic chutney. So quick and easy for my garlic and avocado chutney is perfectly smooth and flavorful for masala taco.

Cachumber salad is a must have side in Indian cuisine. Cachumber is chopped salad with mainly tomatoes and onions. So is Pico de Gallo in Mexican cuisine. In our latest trip to Cancun, Mexico, My husband and I were able to witness a little workshop on Mexican Pico de Gallo. We learned that Pico de Gallo means beak of a roaster. This is a type of freshly chopped salsa seasoned with lot green chili, salt, and lemon juice. Fresh cilantro is also a must just like Indian cachumber salad. Check out my recipe of Pico. Below are some of the pictures of Pico de Gallo from our Mexico trip.