Crispy, crunchy and yummy! I guess that would be a very accurate description for these oh-so-delicious, stuffed-with-goodness Tacos. Sprinkled with a blend of shredded cheese and a sour cream-tabasco sauce drizzled on top, what’s not to like? The fusion part of this recipe is the minced meat preparation. Simmering the meat in ginger, garlic, onions, fresh ripe tomatoes and Indian spices for about an hour or so ensures a very juicy and flavor-filled stuffing for the tacos. Again, this minced meat recipe can be used in so many of my fusion dishes as well (and of course, I have several different methods of preparing this minced meat, this being one of many!) I have also made this with chicken mince and it is equally tempting.
These Tacos are a hit with my teenagers’ friends. When they do come over, it’s a no-brainer what I will be preparing. A win-win situation because they are so easy to prepare, and gobbled up in no time! We all know how difficult it can be to please teenagers-tried, tested and loved!
Fusion Tacos with Spiced Minced Meat
Ingredients
Minced Meat
- 1 lb 85% Lean Ground Beef
- 1.5 medium yellow onions thinly sliced
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes *Roma, Campari, or any other type, chopped
- 4 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Lal Mirch
- 2 tsp fresh garlic paste
- 1 tsp fresh ginger paste
- 3/4 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- 1 handful fresh chopped corinader leaves
- 8 oz red kidney beans *Goya brand, drained and rinsed
- 8 oz sweet corn cream style *Del Monte brand
- 1/2 cup scallions *thinly sliced
- 1-2 tsp Taco seasoning *optional
Tacos
- 1 box Stand 'n Stuff Taco Shells *Old El Paso brand (10 shells)
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 8 oz sour cream
- 3 tsp pepper sauce/hot sauce *Tabasco brand, to taste
- 1/2 cup scallions *thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup lettuce *shredded
Instructions
For Minced Meat – 'Keema'
- Place cooking pot on medium high heat. Add 3 tbsp grapeseed oil and when oil is hot, turn heat to medium and add the ginger and garlic pastes, stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook until onions are light brown (7-8 minutes). Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Continue to cook mixture for 12-15 minutes. Turn heat to medium low and add all the spices and salt. Stir and cook for additional 5-6 minutes (you may add a few drops of water so as not to burn the spice mixture). One spices are aromatic and the oils are released, add the ground beef and mix very well, breaking down the beef and incorporating all the spices. I mix this really well for about 5-7 minutes. Once the meat changes color to a light brown and is properly mixed, turn heat to low, cover with lid and continue to cook for about 40-45 minutes until oil is released (no more water or moisture remains). Then uncover, turn heat to medium high, add the freshly chopped coriander leaves and cook while stirring for about 2-3 minutes more. Now it's done. Turn off heat and let rest. I usually prepare this a few days prior and have it ready in the fridge.
- Heat a separate saute pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil. Once oil is hot, add 1/2 cup sliced scallions and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add the red kidney beans and sweet corn cream style and mix well to combine and cook for 4-5 minutes. Now add the minced meat mixture (add as much quantity of the minced meat as you would like, depending on how many Tacos you plan on making). Check for salt and seasoning and add any additionally desired spices (more Kashmiri Lal Mirch, or you can even add 1-2 tsp of Taco seasoning at this point, being careful of the salt content). Turn heat to medium low, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes and then set aside.
For Tacos
- Preheat over to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Per package instructions, place taco shells in a single layer on a baking sheet (I line the baking sheet with aluminum foil).
- Heat taco shells in preheated oven for 5 minutes
For sour cream sauce
- In a mixing bowl, add sour cream, the tabasco sauce and a 2-3 tsp of water and mix until you get your desired consistency. Place the sauce in a squeeze bottle.
Final assembly of Tacos
- Remove tacos and carefully stuff with the minced meat mixture, sprinkle the shredded cheese and chopped scallions on top. Place in oven for another 3-4 minutes until cheese melts. Drizzle the sour cream sauce on top and serve with fresh, shredded lettuce. Deliciously flavorful Tacos are now ready to serve. Nosh Farma'aiye. Enjoy!