Chicken Enchilada

Entire 2020 has passed by sitting at home due to the Pandemic and the businesses that have taken most hit are restaurants. The restaurants were a part of every family's weekend outings and it was always helpful for working women and women with kids to sit back, relax and enjoy the good food. After being at home for over a year, I have been craving for some good restaurant food. Looking at the situation I thought why not take matters in hand cook something at home for my family. Mexican cuisine is somewhat similar to Indian cooking when it comes to spices and taste. 

Instead of having regular roti sabzi, I thought of preparing same dish differently. Enchilada is very similar to our Indian roti sabzi. It is similar to our street side food "Frankie" but with gravy. The outer covering is mainly "Corn Tortilla" which is rolled with a filing and then covered with either red or green enchilada sauce. It's not necessary for Enchilada to be rolled in with Meat but it can also include just Black Beans and Fajitas (Bell Pepper and Onion Stir Fry). If you want to make it more Indian then "Paneer" can also be added as a filing. Sauce used to cover the enchilada can also be Queso Cheese Sauce incase you dont find enchilada sauce.

Let's have a look at the recipe.

                            

Ingredients

7-8 Chicken Tenders

1 tsp Fajita Seasoning

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 small sized chopped Onion

Chopped Cilantro

4 cups Water (To poach chicken)

4-6 Corn Tortillas

Grated Cheese ( I used Mexican Blend)

1 diced deseeded Jalapeno

1/2 cup Buffalo Sauce (Optional)

2 tbsp Oil ( To cook Tortillas)

1 diced Tomato

1 can of readymade Red Enchilada Sauce

Salt to Taste

Method:

In a mixing bowl add cleaned chicken tenders and marinate it with Fajita Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper and Salt. Keep it aside.

In a pot, add 4 cups of water and keep it to boil on medium flame.

Add 1/2 quantity of chopped onion and 1/2 quantity of Cilantro to the water. Add Salt.

After few minutes, add marinated chicken tenders and cover the pot.

Let the chicken cook well for 20-30 mins.

Keep checking in intervals and with the help fork check if the chicken is cooked.

Once the chicken looks cooked, turn off the flame and remove the chicken in a plate or mixing bowl.

Let the chicken cool down completely. 

Meanwhile, in a small pan add 1 tbsp of Oil, and wait until it heats up on medium flame.

Add tortilla to the pan and cooking on both sides for 1 min each remove it on a paper towel (tissue paper).

Repeat it for remaining tortillas as well.

Once all Tortillas are done, check on chicken if it has cooled down. With the help of a fork or hands shred the chicken.

After shredding the chicken, add buffalo sauce to it and mix well.

Now we start assembling the enchilada.

In a tortilla, add chicken in the middle and as seen on the video.

Add chopped onion, tomato, jalapeno, cheese and then wrap the tortilla into a roll as seen in video.

When done rolling all the tortillas, spread the enchilada sauce all over the tortillas and make sure they are all covered with the sauce. 

Add grated cheese on the enchiladas and bake it in oven for 20 mins @ 400 degrees.