Taco tales

Mumbai could easily be dubbed taco heaven for lovers of this Mexican on-the-go snack with the sheer variety and flavour combinations on offer. From Asian-inspired flavours, off-beat ingredients and quirky presentations, chefs have gone all out to own this dish.

3 states, one dish

Tacos may have originated from beyond our borders but are increasingly being executed within the Indian context says executive chef, Thomas Zacharias from The Bombay Canteen. He adds, “The Desi Tacos on our menu, although Mexican-inspired, uses Gujarati methi theplas as the base in place of corn tortillas, with different toppings, which change as our menu changes. Our Goan Pulled Pork Tacos, on the other hand, has pulled pork vindaloo with crispy pork skin, while our Lucknowi Kali Mirch tacos is topped with a spinach and green chilli chutney and fermented tomato kachumber.”  

Playing the desi trumph card

A thought House of Mirabella’s chef Santosh Kanojia echoes when he shares, “Paneer tikka is an all-time favourite, so we tried to use this crowd pleaser in a modern avatar. Our tacos are topped with paneer tikkas that is then tossed in a silky makhani gravy. To top it off, we gave it that zing with chatpata laccha pyaaz and chaat masala. The main idea was to give the vegetarian lovers something exciting than the simple paneer tikka they eat everywhere.” And while Santosh has gone the veg way, Manu Chandra, chef partner Monkey Bar, has tried to create a dish that will please both sections. He says, “One of our signature dishes is the Laal Maas Phulka Tacos, which is a meat lover’s delight and we also have Paneer Pakoda Tacos for vegetarians. I wanted to present a wholesome Indian snack in a modern avatar. Tacos are an experiment being tried by restaurants in India, and abroad and this is our version with a twist — a Rajasthani laal maas with ker sangri (spicy vegetable made with ker and the sangri— both traditional Rajasthani fare), with coriander chutney and tamarind served in a phulka.”

Nishant Joshi, owner of Zoobar who has tried something similar with their offering — Bhuna Gosht Tacos adds, “What has worked in favour of tacos is that it’s a Mexican dish. Both Indian and Mexican cuisines have similarities due to the spice level and the use of certain ingredients.” And it’s not just mains, streetfood too is getting incorporated and being served to taco lovers who just can’t get enough of it. Harmeet Singh of Turban Tales, shares, “We are using Besan Cheela, which is a Delhi street snack as a taco base. Generally in Mexican Tacos, the base is made with maize flour, but here we are using gram flour with a stuffing of cottage cheese, iceberg and traditional green chutney to give it an Indian twist.” Staying true to the original yet giving it a spin, chef Shamsul Wahid, group executive chef, Impresario Handmade Restaurants, says, “At Social we serve fish tacos in homemade soft flour tortillas stuffed with crispy crumb fried fish fingers perfectly balanced with a spicy spread of baja sauce. Packed with a host of colourful ingredients that are great in flavour. The Fish Tacos stays true to its traditional taste with a signature Social twist.”

Looking West!

While Indian-inspired tacos have become the norm at some restaurants, there are chefs looking towards outside our borders too for inspiration. As in the case of chef Sahil from Pa Pa Ya. His Grilled Chicken Avocado Taco stands out on two accounts. He says, “The stuffing for this particular taco incorporates Thai flavours while the taco shells are made from Japanese ‘gyoza’ sheets, which are traditionally used for dumplings.” Chef Paul Kinny at Shizusan also serves a lobster taco with Asian influences. He adds, “Ponzu mayo whose primary component Ponzu is a citrus-based sauce found in almost every Japanese household. The citrus flavour of the ponzu mayo blends well with the sweet lobster meat.”

Considering the wide range on offer, eateries are stepping up their game. Ultimately it’s the taco that’s on a roll catering to a growing group of loyal fans who simply can’t get enough of it.

Edamame and Pepper Teriyaki Taco

For the taco
• 200 gms Refined flour
• 15 ml Oil
• Water to make the dough
 
For the filling
• 30 gms Edamame
• 20 gms Chopped scallions
• 15 gms Chopped Bok Choy
• 40 gms Teriyaki sauce
• 5 ml Soy sauce
• A dash of truffle oil
• 20 ml Stock
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of black pepper
 
Truffle mayo
• 100 gms Mayonnaise
• 20 ml Truffle oil
 
Method: Make a dough for the taco with all the ingredients and roll it out and cut in to circles three inches in diameter. Bake on a griddle and then using a taco fryer, fry them in hot oil till golden brown. For the filling, in a wok take a little stock and to it add the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and all the greens. Take it off the flame and drizzle the truffle oil. Season and finish with crushed black pepper and fill in the prepared taco shells. Make the mayo by mixing the truffle oil and the mayonnaise together and drizzle thus over the tacos before serving.

Recipe courtesy: Umame & Joss.