Bean medley Pakora Inspired Tacos

Bean medley Pakora Inspired Tacos, fusing culture is a great way to build flavor and texture. Today I  have created a wonderful union of Indian cuisine meets Mexican. The end result, a play on our tongue of exotic spicy dancing with bright freshness!

Song of the day: "Yummy" by Justin Bieber.

[This post is sponsored by Ontario Bean Growers. We’ve been compensated but -as always- all opinions are our own.]

Bean medley Pakora Inspired Tacos. If you like Indian food and adore Mexican food then this is a dish you will definitely try. The crispness and exuberant flavor of the pakoras marry beautifully with the luxuriousness of the slaw, avocado, all wonderfully wrapped in a warm soft tortilla.

 

Taco, Taco.............

It has become a phenomenon, Taco Tuesday that is, but I say why wait for Tuesday when you can have tacos any day of the week. Nicoletta is pescatarian and loves fish tacos, however, I wanted to really capture her love for vegetarian cuisine and tacos, and want to create something that she will adore. 

Actually, I did this recipe when she was in Rome and I promised that I would make these again really soon.  We were asked by Ontario Bean growers to develop a recipe featuring the wonderful beans that are available. So without further ado let's get into the kitchen and make some delicious Bean medley Pakora Inspired Tacos! 

Time to go shopping.............

In the first place, we need to get the ingredients which means shopping spree. However, if you have a super pantry you may have all these ingredients, lol.  Realistically, we need to go shopping, but you know what, if you came shopping with me it is a lot of fun! I like to categorize the list so we can shop according to the area in the store. So here's the list:

Produce:

• yellow onions
• garlic
• green cabbage
• purple cabbage
• purple onion
• red potatoes
• carrots
• peas
• green onion
• avocado
• cilantro

Canned  goods & condiments:

• one can of  mixed medley beans
• jar of mild or picante salsa
• Sriracha sauce
• olive oil mayo
• olive oil

Dairy:

• smoked cheddar
• butter

Dry goods and spices:

• soft tortillas
• Panko crumbs
• chickpea flour
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• paprika
• coriander seeds
• turmeric
• green curry powder
• fine sea salt
• black peppercorns

Shopping's done, time to cook!...............

1. First things first, let's boil the potatoes that have been peeled, washed, and diced. Similarly, we need to cook the peas and drain. Next, time to build the spice paste. How do we do that, you ask? Well, we need some olive oil, butter, onion, garlic, and all the spices. Get ready because you are going to be taken away by the aromas coming off the cast iron skillet as you stir the base with the spices. Furthermore, be careful, control the heat. You don't want to burn the spice paste!
2. Secondly, time to get the beans into the mix. After a nice wash in a colander drain them into the pan, because we want to get them acquainted with all those lovely flavors and aromatics!

   3. Thirdly, get a potato masher and let's get those beans mashed a bit to form a dichotomy of texture. Consequently,  a delight to the tongue. Now in goes the boiled potatoes that have been drained, along with the peas. A quick stir and likewise, we are ready to form pakoras.

   4. Let's form these pakoras. Get a nice tablespoon of the mixture in your hand. Form it into an oval patty but not too smooth as you want that rough texture visually. Into a bowl of panko crumbs to get all coated up and onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. At this time, before finishing the forming of the pakoras, you will want to get that oven to temperature: 385 degrees Fahrenheit is what you want.

Into the oven, you go!

   5. Lastly, into the oven these babies go and baking them for about 20 minutes till nice and surface crispy and golden brown. Oh, one thing, turn them over at the halfway mark. This will ensure even cooking and also an end result that will be tantalizing to our tongue!  After they are done, keep them in a warm heat until ready to use.

The slaw and avocado and cheese...................

While the pakoras are baking, you have time to put together the dressing, slaw, and avocado. Really easy: shred up the carrots, cabbage, onion, and mix. In a bowl, whisk the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the veggies and toss, then set aside.

For the avocado, cut it in half and separate, then remove the pit. With a spoon, scoop out the rich avocado from its peel and dice. Mix with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and set aside.

Final touches................................

Finally, grate the cheese and now we are ready to assemble and eat! Oh, wait! One more thing, we have to heat up the tortillas. Two ways you can do this. One way is to steam them, and another is simply to put them in the cast pan, heat one side, turn them over, and heat the other.

Now we are done and I am so excited to get my teeth into one of these!

The assembly.................................

These are so easy to assemble. I like to put some cheese first, then the pakoras. Next, some more cheese, followed by the slaw. Finally, some of the avocado, and for some acidic spice, the salsa! How does that look? Looks like a colossal taco to me! Better do some mouth stretching!

Get some napkins, it's going to get messy.....................

Definitely, eating tacos is a messy affair, however, it doesn't really matter because the end result of flavor and texture will make you not even notice. Furthermore, not one crumb is wasted as the stragglers that fell on the plate will not go to waste. That's why we have fingers to scoop up all that wonderful foodie love.

Without delay, I am ready to bite in! Oh wow, the warm tortilla nicely nestles that crispy surfaced pakora and all that melted cheese at the bottom. The earthiness and richness of the beans, potato, peas, with the spices, just float into my taste buds beautifully! The slaw offers an awakening to the senses with crispness, freshness, and plenty of creaminess from the dressing. That salsa has just enough kick to provide a bit of acidity and heat! Just plain fantastico, these Bean medley Pakora Inspired Tacos! 

I  created this recipe for Ontario Bean Growers and if you go on their recipe library, you will find some pretty amazing bean recipes that will make you crave all kinds of beans!

Final thoughts................

In the end, tacos are a fun and great meal idea for the family. The messiness of them provides plenty of space for laughter and playfulness, and the flavors and textures sublimely unforgettable. The best part of fusion cuisine is that it brings our cultural world together. Traditional recipes, I believe, should be respected, however, there is some space for uniting our worlds, being creative, making our life experience one of warmth, love, and hospitality. You can't ask for any more than that. Or maybe you can! .....................................

Gather the family and make tonight taco night!

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