Vegan Birria Quesadillas with Jackfruit

So this is a very hype and most "talk about" dish in Mexican food now a days. People travel far to get the taste of this dish. I was also amazed by all the recipes floating on Internet but when I made it , it was so easy to make and enjoy. Next time I will go for more spice and more chilies in the base. 

You can use mushroom , thinly sliced cabbage, carrot, tofu, seitan anything. I wanted to have it with jackfruit so I made it with frozen jackfruit but you can use canned too.

Don't go on the long list of ingredients , all are easily available in the pantry if you are a regular cook. 

Birria originated from the stat of Jalisco, its made with goat meat but they have it with beef too. 

Ingredients :

Sauce

3  dry California Chiles

3 dried chile de arbol

2 dried guajillo chiles

1 dried pasilla chile

1 white onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp. oil

2 cups broth or stock

1/2 can tomatoes

3 whole peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1 tsp whole cumin

1tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon powder

2 bay leaves

Jackfruit :

1 cup defrost jackfruit

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. oil

2 tsp. garlic powder

salt as per taste

Quesadillas :

6 corn or flour tortillas

1 cup vegan cheese

chopped cilantro and onion, Jalapenos for serving

Method for the sauce

Cut the dried chilies with scissors and remove the seeds and add all the chilies in a bowlful of hot water  for at least 30 minutes.

Mean time, in a pan, add oil and cook onions and garlic till its dark in color and little charred.

When chilis are soft, drain it and place it in a blender with roasted onion , garlic , 1 cup of broth, tomato all the seasoning and blend until it smooth. 

Transfer the sauce into a saucepan on medium high heat and add remaining broth and bay leaves and bring it to boil. Once its at a boiling point, reduced heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaves with tongs , taste and adjust the seasonings.

For the jackfruit:

Shred the jackfruit and take out what ever water in it. 

Add the oil in a pan and add jackfruit and cook it till its brown on the edges, I have added little bit of jackfruit direct in the sauce too. Add apple cider vinegar, garlic powder and salt and cook till its little crispy. 

Add those jackfruit in the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. 

To make quesadillas :

In a pan, add a drop of oil, dip your tortilla into the sauce and put the tortilla in the pan, add spoonful of jackfruit and cheese and fold it in half and cook till its crispy on one side and flip it on the other side and cook on the other side. 

When its done, serve hot with onions and cilantro , jalapenos and additional sauce for dipping.

 

Vegan Taco Cornbread Casserole

When you want one pot meal in hurry this dish is very handy. I have used Beyond meat granules and corn muffin and make this in "jiffy". You can layered it beef, cornbread, cheese and repeat but I wanted to have it all in one bite so I mixed cornbread and stuffing and then bake it. Turned out good so its going to now one more dish added in my list to make it.

I didn't add corn in the batter for corn bread but you can also add frozen corn in it along with finely chopped jalapenos. 

Ingredients :

1/2 package of granules (you can use soy granules too)

1 small box of jiffy corn muffin mix

1 can of Rotel spicy tomatoes

1/2 white onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 carrot chopped

Any other vegetable of your choice, I have to finish broccoli so I added that too but its optional

1 tbsp. Paprika powder

1/2 tbsp. Garlic powder

1 tbsp. Taco seasoning

1 cup shredded cheese

Salt as per taste

1 tbsp. oil

Few rings of Jalapenos for the top - optional

Method :

Mix the corn muffin with nut milk and oil as per the package direction and keep it aside.

In a pan, add oil then add granules and cook it till its nicely cooked.

Add onion , garlic, carrot, broccoli and canned tomatoes.

Add all the powder spices and salt and mix it till all water is gone.

Grease a baking dish. 

Mix corn muffin mix in granules and mix it,

Pour that mix in baking dish. 

Put some jalapenos on top and baked at 400 F for 10 minutes. I did it in my airfryer so adjust temperature as per your machine. 

Once its done, check with tooth pick if its comes out clean then its good otherwise leave it for few more minutes.

When its done, sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and onion and cut a piece and enjoy it.