Tacotonic shift to finger food: On the taco trail

Pushpesh Pant

Tex-Mex foods are immensely popular in India. There are many reasons for this. The ingredients used are familiar to most Indians — tomatoes, rajma-like kidney beans, corn and chillies. Then, there is the touch of the exotic contributed by the salsa with added piquancy of hot tabasco sauce and jalapeño chillies. To top it all is the creamy guacamole prepared with the avocado pear. Till recently, avocado was restricted to specialised food marts in metros and big cities. It was and continues to be rather expensive. This is what has made anything prepared with avocado aspirational. Avocado on toast has put in shade the long-standing favourite of the vegetarians: mushroom on toast.

We have a particular weakness for taco because once you have the shells at hand, you can fill them up with any leftover delicious titbits, or prepare a healthy filling from scratch. It is a finger food that can be served as an excellent canapé with cocktails or as a starter.

In short, taco can enrich our lives in many ways. It can encourage children to consume veggies in a fun way, quell hunger pangs between meals, or even substitute for a light lunch or supper. Once ready, taco can be consumed at room temperature. Not long ago, we treated ourselves to a delightful taco packed with firm white fish-filling topped with guacamole. We popped it in the mouth and sat speechless for a minute or more. It is not surprising that many pizzerias are now also doubling as taquerias. Some are experimenting with fusion dips like mango in pineapple chutney, honey-flavoured mustard, etc.

No one knows for sure how the taco was born. According to some, the affluent elite in Mexico feasted on this finger food, filling it with leftovers of expensive meat and seafood. Another food lore informs us that the Portuguese carried it with them to Macau, where a local version pele is popular. Nowadays, it is a street food that usually has chicken or pork mince, corn and cheese inside to make it tempting.

We have pleasure in sharing the recipe for taco shells, salsa and guacamole this time.

Taco fatafat

Ingredients

For taco shells

Corn flour 1/2 cup

All-purpose flour 1/4 cup

Refined oil 1 tbsp

Salt A pinch

Oil For deep frying

For filling

Tomatoes (medium-sized) 2

Onions (medium-sized) 2

Garlic clove (peeled, crushed) 2-3

Red bell pepper Half

Yellow bell pepper Half

Green bell pepper Half

Avocado 1

Green chillies 2-3

Sweet corn 2 tbsp

Jalapeño 2 tbsp

Iceberg lettuce head 1/2 small

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Tabasco sauce 1/2 tsp

Salt To taste

Black peppercorn (optional)

Any other filling preferred: Leftover rajma (kidney beans), chickpeas, chicken mince, etc.

Method

Mix both the flours, salt and oil in a bowl and knead with hand to obtain a soft dough. Keep aside (covered) for 20 minutes. Then, sprinkle some flour on a board and roll with a thin rolling pin into large discs. Cut it into a large circle, prick all over with a fork on both sides. (Use the leftover pieces after cutting the dough to knead again and roll into another disc). Place the rolling pin in the middle of the disc and press both sides of the rolled dough on to the pin. Slide the pin carefully and you will have the taco shell ready to fry. Heat oil in a pan and when hot, deep fry the shells for 25-30 seconds. Remove carefully with tongs or slotted sieve. Place on kitchen towel to dry and cool.

Preparing the guacamole

Crack open the avocado from the top, press downwards till it meets resistance from the stone. Then turn clockwise and anticlockwise to loosen and remove the stone. Cut the fruit into half, criss-cross the flesh and carefully scoop out all the flesh. Crush it with the potato-masher. Sprinkle salt, lemon juice and freshly ground black peppercorn.

Salsa

Chop tomatoes into small dices. Cut onion into fine dices, wipe clean. Chop peppers and chillies finely. Chop iceberg coarsely. Put all ingredients for the salsa — tomatoes, onions and bell peppers, crushed garlic, jalapeño in a bowl and the prepared guacamole. Make a bed with lettuce in a taco sheet. Fill it up with salsa. Top with generous layers of guacamole and enjoy.