Masala Chicken Quesadillas

Masala Chicken Quesadilla

Paul Brighton / Dreamstime.com

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 6 quesadillas

Masala Chicken Quesadilla is a great example of fusion food–taking a dish from another country and putting an Indian twist on it. The results are always delicious!

Ingredients

For the Dip:

  • 1/2 cup thick yogurt

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves

  • 1 large cucumber, grated with excess liquid squeezed out

  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • Salt, to taste

For the Masala Chicken:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 large onion, sliced thinly

  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste

  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste

  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder

  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

  • 500 grams (about 1 pound) ground chicken

  • 3 tomatoes, finely chopped

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1/2 cup water

For the Quesadillas:

  • 6 tortillas

  • 1 cup grated or shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1/2 cup mint-coriander chutney

  • Salsa, optional for serving

Steps to Make It

To make the dip:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Mix the yogurt and sour cream together in a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

  3. Add the chopped mint leaves, grated cucumber, cumin powder, red chili powder, sugar, and salt to taste.

  4. Mix well to blend.

  5. Chill in the refrigerator till needed later.

To make the Masala Chicken:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat.

  3. When hot, add the cumin seeds and sauté for a minute.

  4. Add the sliced onions and fry till soft.

  5. Add garlic and ginger pastes and fry for a minute.

  6. Add all spice powders (including garam masala) and fry until oil begins to separate from the masala (spice-onion mix).

  7. Add the chicken mince now and brown, stirring very frequently.

  8. When the chicken has browned, add the tomato and salt to taste.

  9. Stir well and add 1/2 cup of water.

  10. Cook till chicken is done. There should be almost no gravy at this stage. Cook until all the gravy has dried off.

  11. Keep aside for later.

To assemble the quesadillas:

  1. Lay one tortilla on a plate and spread Mint-Coriander Chutney on it. How much is a matter of personal choice.

  2. Add roughly four to five tablespoons of the cooked chicken and spread on half the tortilla.

  3. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese–according to preference.

  4. Fold in half.

  5. At this stage, you can 'toast' the tortilla in a sandwich toaster or on a hot pan on the stove until the cheese has melted.

  6. When all the tortillas are done as above, cut each one into triangles.

  7. Serve while still hot with the yogurt-cucumber dip you made earlier.

  8. Add salsa for the perfect finishing touch!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
807 Calories
39g Fat
79g Carbs
38g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 807
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 11g 57%
Cholesterol 120mg 40%
Sodium 1139mg 50%
Total Carbohydrate 79g 29%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 26mg 129%
Calcium 293mg 23%
Iron 7mg 36%
Potassium 1280mg 27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)