Recipe: Tandoori Quesadillas

the appetizer:

Indian-style home cooking is made easy with Everyday Indian by Bal Arneson, with recipes like Tandoori Quesadillas; Soothing Yam Soup; and Paneer In Tomato Sauce.

Cookbook

Tandoori Quesadillas

Makes 18 pieces

Every time I ate a Mexican enchilada I always wondered how it would taste if I filled it with tandoori chicken. So I went to the ethnic aisle of a local grocery store and bought myself a nice jar of tandoori paste, came home, tried this recipe, and loved it. So far, anyone who has tried these has absolutely loved them. Conrad keeps hinting that he'll make this finger food himself and serve it with cold beer. I am still waiting for that day.

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp grated garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1/4 cup tandoori paste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into small bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
6 large whole wheat tortillas
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Place the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and Saute the onion. garlic. and ginger for 3 minutes. Add the tandoori paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook until it's almost cooked through. about 8 minutes. Add the yogurt and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through another 2 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place one tortilla on a baking sheet and spread one-third of the chicken mixture on it, spreading it evenly over the entire tortilla. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese overtop and cover with another tortilla. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges with a pizza cutter and serve with any of my chutneys (see pages 28 to 35 of the book).