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  1. Thursday, September 17, 2015

    Indian Burritos

    Today’s recipe has been a long time coming. It’s been in my head forEVER and today I finally took it out of my head and made it reality. And boy-oh-boy am I glad I did. I never say “boy-oh-boy,” so that should tell you how good this recipe is.

    indian burritos with tandoori chicken, masala sauce and raita by @janemaynard

    For quite some time I’ve been thinking that Indian food would be good filler for a burrito. After all, flour tortillas are a really excellent blank canvas for all kinds of flavors. Including Indian flavors.

    indian burritos with tandoori chicken, masala sauce and raita by @janemaynard

    I used my homemade tandoori chicken as the base for the burrito, then just piled on all kinds of other wonderful ingredients. The result was delectable. In fact, I had an Indian burrito for lunch today and then couldn’t wait to have it again for dinner.

    indian burritos with tandoori chicken, masala sauce and raita by @janemaynard

    If I wanted to start a food truck (which I don’t), this burrito is what I would serve. Since I’m never going to start a food truck, I’ll just spill all my secrets.

    indian burritos with tandoori chicken, masala sauce and raita by @janemaynard

    In case you are wondering, our kids ate their burritos, although they each had a different variation, from Owen with just tandoori chicken and rice to Anna who used about half of the ingredients to Cate who went for the whole enchilada, or burrito, actually!

    I think it’s time to get right down to the recipe. Enjoy!

    Note: There is a delicious recipe for Masala Sauce below, but I have since created a much simpler version called Masala Salsa. Click here for the Masala Salsa recipe if you are interested!

    Indian Burritos
     
    If Mexican food is good in a burrito, why wouldn't Indian food be good, too? The answer: it is!
    Author:
    Ingredients
    • Large flour tortillas
    • Tandoori chicken (click here for recipe)
    • Grilled onions
    • Grilled bell peppers
    • Jasmine or basmati rice, cooked in salted water
    • Canned chickpeas
    • Masala sauce (see recipe below)
    • Raita sauce (see recipe below)
    • Lentils (you can look for a recipe for "dal" online, or just buy the boxed, cooked lentils at Trader Joe's!)
    • Chopped fresh cilantro
    Instructions
    1. Make sure your tandoori chicken, onions, peppers, rice, chickpeas and masala sauce are all warm/hot.
    2. Warm the tortilla on both side on the stove in a large, dry frying pan.
    3. Pile on all of the ingredients above and wrap the tortilla up burrito style!

    masala sauce for indian burritos by @janemaynard

     

    Masala Sauce
     
    Prep time
    Cook time
    Total time
     
    This chunky tomato-based masala sauce is a perfect topper for Indian burritos!
    Author:
    Ingredients
    • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
    • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
    • 1 clove fresh garlic, pressed through a garlic press
    • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, most of the fluid drained off
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon coriander
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
    Instructions
    1. In a small sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent.
    2. Add garlic, stir and cook about 1 minute.
    3. Add tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium low, maintaining a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes.
    4. Blend about ⅔ of the mixture in a blender, then add back into the pan and stir. Serve warm.

    recipe for Indian raita sauce made from yogurt and cucumbers by @janemaynard

     

    Raita Sauce (Indian Yogurt Sauce)
     
    Prep time
    Total time
     
    Basic recipe for raita, an Indian yogurt-based sauce with cucumber.
    Author:
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup plain yogurt (for a great non-dairy option, use cashew yogurt)
    • ½ cup shredded cucumber (peel and core the cucumber before shredding)
    • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
    • ¼ teaspoon lime juice
    • ¼ teaspoon coriander
    • ⅛ teaspoon cumin
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 2 shakes cardamom
    Instructions
    1. Mix everything together! Serve cold.