Fusion Fiesta: Fiery & Loaded Baked Schezwan Nachos

My first encounter with nachos dates back to the time when the first PVR theater opened up in my small, lovely town Indore. I do not remember the movie I had gone to watch, but I do remember the scrawny guy at the snack counter saying- “We have Samosa and we have Nachos”

I did not want to eat the Samosa so I said- “Ok, give me one of these nachos thing.”

They were these triangular chips that came loaded in a flimsy paper container, with two little sections made up for two different dips. One seemed to be a cheesy dip and another, a tangy salsa dip. Apprehensive of trying this new food for the first time, I gingerly dipped a chip in both the dips and popped it in my mouth………..

Now, a foodie will easily be able to relate to the feeling that one has when you taste the most awesome food for the very first time in your life…….Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…… it. was. glorious. I have never looked back since! Everytime I go to the movie, nothing but Nachos for me. Love love love them!!!

Fast-forward to the present times. For some time now, I am yearning to make my own home-made nachos from scratch. Two problems with that-

Authentic ones are deep-fried.
For the life of me, I can find Corn-meal or Maize flour in any store near my house in Dublin.

So, I finally settled with doing the next best thing- buying the tortillas and playing around with them.

This recipe is sooooooo easy that it’s insane. Just cut your tortillas and bake them in the oven for a while, and you are done! It’s the perfect party pleaser…for the guests as well as for you, as it is so convenient.

The twist in today’s recipe- I made a huge batch of Spicy Chinese Schezwan sauce today from the dried red chillies and decided to add it to my nachos. The combo was absolutely spot-on. Match made in heaven. So,you can say that today’s post is somewhat of a fusion between Chinese and Mexican food. Fusion is always fun, right?

Give this easy yet delicious recipe a go friends, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the schezwan sauce-

– 10-15 dried red chillies (available at any Indian store)

– 2 tbsn tomato paste/puree

– 8-10 garlic cloves, finely chopped

– A large piece of ginger, peeled and grated

– 2 tsp sugar

– 2 tsp soya sauce

– 1 tsp vinegar

– 1 tbsn tomato ketchup

– 3-4 tbsn oil

– 1 tbsn sesame oil (optional)

– Salt & pepper to taste

For the Nachos-

– 4 plain Tortillas

– 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

– 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning or any seasoning of your choice

– 1 onion finely chopped

– 1 tomato finely chopped

– 1 jalapeno, finely chopped

– 2-3 tbsn of schezwan sauce (home-made or store-bought)

– 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

– Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

– Prepare your schezwan sauce first. De-seed the chillies and then, soak them in water for an hour.

-Drain and cut off the stems. Blend in the grinder with little water to get a thick, red paste. Preserve the water in which u had soaked the chillies.

-Heat vegetable oil + sesame oil in the wok.

-Add the garlic & ginger in hot oil and fry for about 10 seconds. We do not have to brown them.

-Add the red chilly paste and fry till you see the oil leaving the mixture.

– Add your tomato paste/puree and fry again, till the oil leaves the edges.

– Add 2-3 tbsn of water from the bowl where you had soaked the chillies and while the sauce simmers, add the soya sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook for around 6-7 mins more on low flame till you again see the oil leaving sides. The resulting sauce should be absolutely thick and not at all watery.

-Check and adjust salt and sugar as per your preference.

– Cool and collect in a jar. Make sure there’s a layer of oil over the top of the sauce. This increases the shelf-life of the sauce. Refrigerate. Your fiery Schezwan sauce is ready.

– For the nachos, preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.

– Brush the tortillas on both sides with the olive oil and stack them together.

– Cut them into small triangles and place them in a single layer on a greased baking tray.

– Sprinkle over the cajun seasoning and pop them in the oven.

– Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until crispy and golden. Keep an eye on them while they are baking as they tend to burn very quickly. Rotate the tray once in between.

– Once they are done, assemble your nachos with all the yummyness.

– Scatter the tortillas in an oven safe dish.

– Spoon in your schezwan sauce generously.

– Next, scatter the grated mozzarella all over your nachos. Pop the dish in the oven for around five minutes, or until the cheese melts.

– Finally, top with your favorite toppings- chopped onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, sour cream, mayonnaise etc and serve hot. Enjoy!