Easy Salsa Recipe- With a Twist

Easy Salsa Recipe- With a Twist
This is a chunky salsa good for dipping chips or adding as a topping to dish of your creative desire.

¼ cup finely diced onions
¾ cup diced, juicy tomatoes
¼ cup diced red bell peppers (capsicum)
3 tablespoons diced fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
1/4 cup cooked corn kernels
Dash salt
Lemon juice
Optional Green Chilies or Jalapeno peppers as per taste (finely sliced/diced)

Method:
EASY! Chop all ingredients and put in a bowl and mix nicely. Add only a dash of salt to bring out the juices in the vegetables. Add lemon juice as per your taste for tanginess. I used about 1 tablespoon.
Let this set for about 5-10 minutes before eating to allow tastes to blend. The fresher the vegetables the better the final product tastes (and smells!).

Corn is purely optional and the 'twist' I added for an extra layer of texture. Some people like to roast the corn then put it in to give another layer of taste. I did not roast the corn.

**This dish is eaten raw. The only item in this dish that is cooked is the corn- but that is separately done. This dish is best eaten cold or slightly cooler than room temperature.

**For my desi friends, I have tagged this post with the term 'chutney', I think salsa is the 'Mexican chutney'! It is a great relish or dip.

***********************************************************************************

A friend shares:
"For a different twist on the same recipe you can also cook the above ingredients for about 5 minutes on the stove top. Mix in a blender for a cooked salsa. Also good with carrots, jicama, and /or cabbage. I often throw in what is around in the fridge."

Cornbread with Cream Corn and Red Bean Curried Gravy

This dish is inspired by a dish we love at Cheesecake Factory called "Sweet Corn Tamale," and my love for the layered, flavorful tastes of India and Mexico. I hope you're tempted to try the same!


Ingredients:
Small -sized sweet corn cakes (ready made in the store)

For gravy:
2 tbspn oil of your choice (vegetable or olive)
pinch cumin seeds
1/2 cup small diced red onion
1/2 of 1 jalapeno, finely diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper finely chopped
1/4 cup orange bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup water
pinch turmeric
3/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/8 tsp garlic salt (or 1/2 tsp garlic paste, salt to taste)
1/3 canned ready-to-use red beans (about 5 oz)
1 can (14.75 oz) can creamed corn
1 tbspn finely diced cilantro (coriander) leaves
to taste, garnishing - sour cream, optional


Method:
1. Warm oven to 250F for warming the corn cakes.
2. Keep all vegetables diced ready to put in the pan as needed- onions and jalapenos together, red and orange pepper in another.
3. Heat wok, put in oil. When oil seems warm put in cumin seeds.
4. As the cumin sizzles and an aroma comes out, drop in onions and jalapenos. Stir fry a few mintues until the onion becomes translucent, not browns.
5. Add in red and orange peppers and red beans. Stir fry about 5 minutes so the peppers soften.
6. Turn heat to medium, add water and all the spices (cumin and coriander powder, garlic salt, turmeric). Let this simmer about 5 minutes, stirring every minute.
7. Add in the entire can of creamed corn, stir in. Simmer 15 minutes or until all the flavors combine.
8. While the corn gravy is simmering, place corn cakes on an oiled pan, cut in half, place in oven to warm about 10 minutes.

Taste for salt, it may not be necessary to add more because the canned corn may have salt in it.

To eat- place the warmed corn cakes cut side up on the plate, Ladle a generous heaping of corn gravy on the corn bread pieces. The finished product is a blend of different flavors, with a mild hot spice from the jalapeno. Eat with a side of sour cream. If not hot or spicy enough, eat with an additional side of salsa rojo (red salsa) or salsa verde (green salsa). YUM!

Hope you get a chance to try this and the one at Cheesecake Factory. Let me know what you think!!


Related Posts:
Our visit to Cheesecake Factory
Burritos with Ginger/Tamarind Sauce: A Mexican Indian Delight


Thank you!

Burritos with Ginger/Tamarind Sauce: A Mexican Indian Delight

This is a recipe posted a little over two years ago in my blog at Alaivani! Enjoy a blast from the past!

Recipe: Burritos with Ginger/Tamarind Sauce: A Mexican Indian Delight

There are two steps to this fusion dish:

1. Prepare the ginger/tamarind sauce.

2. Prepare the burrito.

Ginger Tamarind Sauce (Pulinji)

Ingredients:

3 tbspn Finely minced fresh ginger

2 Finely chopped green chilis
1 cup water

Small ball Tamarind, small ball, a little bigger than a gooseberry
1 tbspn Chilli powder
1 tsp Mustard seeds
6-10 Curry leaves
5 Fenugreek seeds
3 tbspn grated jaggery (or brown sugar)

1-2 tspn salt to taste

5 peppercorns
3 tbspn Oil

rice powder (optional)

Method:

Step 1:
Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 15 minutes and extract the juice. This should yield about a cup of thick tamarind extract. Filter it and keep aside.

Step 2:
Dry roast fenugreek seeds until the color changes. Powder it and keep aside.

Step 3:

Heat Oil in a pan.

Step 4:

When oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.

Step 5:

When mustard seeds pop, add the ginger, green chilies and curry leaves. Stir fry about 5 minutes.

Step 6:

Add the tamarind water, chili powder, fenugreek seeds-powdered, peppercorns, salt, jaggery. Boil about 15 minutes – 5 minutes on high, 10 minutes on low.

This will thicken as it cools. If you want to thicken it quicker, add a few pinches of rice powder. When you use this sauce, use it in small doses, it is quite full of taste (potent)!

Adapted from: http://myworksh0p.blogspot.com/2007/01/puliyinjitamarind-ginger-hot-sauce.html

Burrito-

1 16 oz can vegetarian refried beans - warmed

½ cup each diced veggies per your taste including

tomatoes, mushrooms, green/red/orange pepper, onion, lettuce, etc.

2-4 large tortillas

2 tspn sour cream

2 tspn guacamole (optional)

To make the burrito with pulinji (ginger/tamarind sauce).

Step 1:

Place the tortilla on the plate. Spread the refried beans in the center. Put on the veggies.

Roll up. Using sour cream while rolling up the ends of the bread acts like a glue.

Step 2:

After it’s rolled up, drizzle the pulinji sauce over the top of the burrito per taste.

Step 3:

If you use guacamole it could be on the side.

Enjoy!

Related Links:
See Nupur's Mexican Fiesta (a vegetarian version of Mole sauce included!)
Original Recipe- 8th post on Alaivani!

Thank you for reading and spending time on my blogs!