Veggie Enchilada

I got this recipe from American Masala by Suvir Saran. I make many types of Quesadillas for quick dinners and have started preferring these over the restaurant ones. After trying this enchilada, I am even more in love with home-made Mexican food. Though it is more time-consuming than my humble quesadilla creations, its definitely worth the time & effort. All members of my family loved it.

Here's how I made it:

For the roasted pepper dip -

2 tbsp oil

1 small red onion - chopped

4 colored bell peppers - I used 1 each of green, red, orange and yellow - cored, seeded & chopped
2 medium tomatoes - chopped

4 cloves of garlic - peeled

1 serrano - increase for more heat

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper pwd

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend

Toss all the ingredients, except milk & cheese, together. Spread on a greased glass baking dish. Roast in a pre-heated 450F oven for 1 hr, stirring every 15 mins.

Cool slightly, then blend.

Transfer to a saucepan. Simmer on medium heat. Add the milk & cheese. Stir till cheese melts. Take off heat.

The original recipe calls for cream, but I used 2% milk for a lighter option.

This dip tastes delicious with tortilla chips as well.

For the enchilada stuffing, the author uses a stir-fried carrot salad recipe from his book. Here's how I made it:

1 bag shredded carrots
1/2 a head of cabbage - shredded
1 can balck beans - drained & rinsed
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
Cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the cumin seeds. After 2 mins add the carrots and cabbage. Stir & cook on medium heat for about 5 mins. till al dente (or a little longer if u prefer it more cooked). Add the salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, cumin pwd, coriander pwd & cilantro. Mix well & take off heat.

The original recipe does not include the beans. I just added them as I love black beans in Mexican dishes.

To assemble the enchiladas:

Preheat oven to 450F.

Evenly spread 1/2 cup of the Roasted Red Pepper Dip on the bottom of a 11 X 9 inch baking dish along with 1 tsp oil.

Heat 4 tortillas on a skillet on medium high heat for about 20 secs. each side until a bit toasty. Fill each with 3 heaped tbsp of the carrot-cabbage-beans stuffing down the middle. Roll them up & place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with 1 cup of the dip and an even layer of cheese. Bake for about 20 mins till cheese is melted and golden brown. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

These veggie enchiladas are off to the Monthly Mingle: Mexican Fiesta event at allthingsyummy.