Homemade quesadilla couldn’t get any better…
Quesadilla is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. If I see this on the menu of any restaurant, I wouldn’t bother reading the menu till the very end. Quesadilla is basically tortillas topped with chicken, cheese and other ingredients, they are then folded to a half moon shape and are toasted on a pan or griddle till the cheese has melted and glues to the tortilla. In most restaurants, tortillas used for making quesadilla are mostly made with all purpose flour and not corn flour, so gluten intolerant people cannot succumb to this.
The other day while I was enjoying every bite of cheesy quesadilla at BW3, my hubby was seen drooling at me. The way he drooled at me made me feel that I would end up with an upset stomach 😛 Well, on the other hand I did feel not so good that my man couldn’t enjoy it. So, last night for dinner I made gluten free quesadilla using corn flour or masa harina.
Masa harina is the traditional flour used to make most of the Mexican dishes. It is made from corn treated with slaked lime, this is what gives the characteristic taste to this flour. At first, I didn’t like the taste that much, after a few trials I kinda got used to the taste.
I first made the tortillas from scratch, topped it with cheese, chicken and veggies, folded to a half moon shape and toasted it on a pan. If you don’t want to go through the lengthy process of making the tortilla, you could always use store bought tortillas. Making quesadillas is a breeze if you use store bought tortillas.
Chicken Quesadilla
Makes: 14 small quesadillas
Ingredients
For making Tortilla (or use store bought tortilla)
- Masa harina – 2 cups
- Water- 1 1/2 cups
- Salt- 2 pinches
For cooking chicken
- Chicken, cut small- 2 breasts
- Paprika- 1 tsp
- Ground cumin- 3/4 tsp
- Ground pepper- 1/8 tsp
- Salt- to taste
Other ingredients
- Red onion, chopped very small- 1
- Tomatoes, chopped very small- 1 or 2
- Pickled jalapenos, chopped small
- Cheddar cheese
Instruction
Making tortilla:
- In a large bowl, combine masa harina, salt and water together, knead it a soft dough, keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Make large balls out of the dough.
- If you have tortilla maker or poori maker you can flatten the dough in that, else roll the dough using a pin.
- To avoid the dough from sticking to the surface, I rolled the dough on a ziploc bag or use plastic sheet.
- Cut a ziploc bag into two halves, place one on the board or a clean surface.
- Spray the plastic sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the dough ball on it.
- Cover the dough ball with the other plastic sheet.
- Using a rolling pin, roll it to a round shape.
- When rolling masa harina dough, the ends of the flattened dough will split easily as the dough is very soft.
- To make pretty looking rolled dough: after rolling the dough, place the lid of a small saucepan or a small plate over the rolled dough and press it down, there you have the perfect round shape. Peel off the extra dough.
- Place a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Grease with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the rolled dough on it, let the bottom side cook for a few seconds.
- Flip it to the other side, let tiny golden spots form on the bottom side, gently press the sides with a spatula.
- Flip it over and cook for a couple of seconds.
- Don’t over cook the tortillas as it till turn hard.
- Remove from heat and keep aside. As the tortillas cool down it will turn soft.
Cooking chicken:
- Cut the chicken breast to very small, add paprika, ground cumin, ground pepper and salt to it, combine well.
- Cook in a saucepan covered till the chicken has cooked well and all the water has dried off. Keep aside.
Making Quesadilla:
- Place the tortilla on a clean surface.
- Chop the onions, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos into small and have it ready.
- Shred the cooked chicken using a fork.
- Top the quesadilla with little chicken, onion, tomato and jalapeno.
- Finally, garnish with cheddar cheese.
- Don’t over stuff the tortillas.
- Place a non-stick pan over medium low heat.
- Gently fold the topped tortillas into a half moon shape or semi circle shape.
- If the tortilla is over stuffed the veggies will pop out when you fold it.
- Place the folded tortilla on the heated pan and immediately cover it with the lid of a small saucepan.
- By covering it with the lid, the folded tortilla won’t open up.
- Turn the heat to low, let the cheese melt and bottom side of the quesadilla turn light golden in color.
- Uncover the lid and flip it to the other side, when the cheese melts the tortilla would stick together.
- Let the other side turn light golden in color too. Remove from the pan.
- Serve warm and enjoy with salsa, sour cream, guacamole etc.
Tips:
- Use store bought tortilla instead of making it from scratch.
- Instead of tortilla you could even use Chapati or Orotti.
- You could even top the tortillas with shredded carrots and lettuce.
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- Masa harina - 2 cups
- Water- 1½ cups
- Salt- 2 pinches
- Chicken, cut small- 2 breasts
- Paprika- 1 tsp
- Ground cumin- ¾ tsp
- Ground pepper- ⅛ tsp
- Salt- to taste
- Red onion, chopped very small- 1
- Tomatoes, chopped very small- 1 or 2
- Pickled jalapenos, chopped small
- Cheddar cheese
- In a large bowl, combine masa harina, salt and water together, knead it a soft dough, keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Make large balls out of the dough.
- If you have tortilla maker or poori maker you can flatten the dough in that, else roll the dough using a pin.
- To avoid the dough from sticking to the surface, I rolled the dough on a ziploc bag or use plastic sheet.
- Cut a ziploc bag into two halves, place one on the board or a clean surface.
- Spray the plastic sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the dough ball on it.
- Cover the dough ball with the other plastic sheet.
- Using a rolling pin, roll it to a round shape.
- When rolling masa harina dough, the ends of the flattened dough will split easily as the dough is very soft.
- To make pretty looking rolled dough: after rolling the dough, place the lid of a small saucepan or a small plate over the rolled dough and press it down, there you have the perfect round shape. Peel off the extra dough.
- Place a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Grease with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the rolled dough on it, let the bottom side cook for a few seconds.
- Flip it to the other side, let tiny golden spots form on the bottom side, gently press the sides with a spatula.
- Flip it over and cook for a couple of seconds.
- Don't over cook the tortillas as it till turn hard.
- Remove from heat and keep aside. As the tortillas cool down it will turn soft.
- Cut the chicken breast to very small, add paprika, ground cumin, ground pepper and salt to it, combine well.
- Cook in a saucepan covered till the chicken has cooked well and all the water has dried off. Keep aside.
- Place the tortilla on a clean surface.
- Chop the onions, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos into small and have it ready.
- Shred the cooked chicken using a fork.
- Top the quesadilla with little chicken, onion, tomato and jalapeno.
- Finally, garnish with cheddar cheese.
- Don't over stuff the tortillas.
- Place a non-stick pan over medium low heat.
- Gently fold the topped tortillas into a half moon shape or semi circle shape.
- If the tortilla is over stuffed the veggies will pop out when you fold it.
- Place the folded tortilla on the heated pan and immediately cover it with the lid of a small saucepan.
- By covering it with the lid, the folded tortilla won't open up.
- Turn the heat to low, let the cheese melt and bottom side of the quesadilla turn light golden in color.
- Uncover the lid and flip it to the other side, when the cheese melts the tortilla would stick together.
- Let the other side turn light golden in color too. Remove from the pan.
- Serve warm and enjoy with salsa, sour cream, guacamole etc.
Instead of tortilla you could even use Chapati or Orotti.
You could even top the tortillas with shredded carrots and lettuce.
