Mini taco cups with Roasted tomato salsa

Don't we all love party food that is in mini form?? Food that can be just picked from one hand and put straight into the mouth. Party food is something which should be easy and quick to put together and feed guests. The recipe that I am sharing today is all about that -"Mini taco cups"  with "roasted tomato salsa"- a great appetizer for your next party. Tiny baked cups perfectly hold refried beans, veggies and the utterly addictive salsa.

Mexican food is on a high these days and with Taco Bell opening outlets in India, people are starting to like it even more. Mexico is best known for its street food "taco". Unlike popular belief, taco doesn't have to be fried. Taco is basically a tortilla  filled with anything from rice to vegetables, cheese, refried beans, fresh salsa, sour cream and more.

Instead of using tortilla, I have used samosa patti/wonton wrappers which is easily available in market. Wonton wrappers/Samosa patti is one of that inexpensive items that you must have in kitchen to create your style of appetizer. Because of their neutral taste, they are versatile to work with and crisp up in oven very fast.

These baked tartlets can be filled with almost anything and everything like tandoori paneer, sprouts, fruits, veggies, salsa, creamed corn and cheese. Appetizers is not about fried food anywhere. Instead of greasy and heavy appetizers like vegetable cutlets, pakora, samosa and bread roll, these days people fancy bruschetta, crostini, mezze platter and dips more.

Roasted tomato salsa

This vibrant and addictive salsa is perfect when you want to watch a movie and have a bowl of chips to finish. It is made by roasting tomatoes, onion and garlic in the oven and blending roasted veggies with fresh lime juice, coriander and cumin powder. Roasting intensifies the flavour of tomatoes and adds a slight smokiness. 

INGREDIENTS

1. Tomatoes- 4
2. Onion- 2
3. Garlic - 6 cloves
4. Cumin powder (jeera)- 1 tsp
5. Green chilli- 1
6. Juice of 1 lemon
7. Salt to taste
8. Coriander - 1/4th cup (chopped)

METHOD

• Preheat oven.
• Line a baking dish with aluminium foil.
• Cut each tomato and onion in quarter.

• Spread tomatoes, onions and garlic on the baking dish and bake in oven @ 200 degress for 20 minutes.

• Once the vegetables get charred, remove them from oven and keep aside to cool.

• Blend roasted vegetables in a mixer/processor with salt, green chilli, lemon juice, cumin powder and fresh coriander. Keep consistency of salsa coarse. 

MINI TACO CUPS

Instead of having mexican food outside, try these delicious mini taco cups with smoked salsa tonight. These cups hold plenty of filling and can be prepared ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS

1. Chopped vegetables- cucumber, corn, onion, capsicum
2. Roasted tomato salsa
3. Refried beans/ Canned baked beans
4. Mustard sauce
5. Wonton wrappers/ Samosa patti
6. Jalapeños (optional)
7. Cheese/ sour cream (optional)

METHOD

• Cut samosa patti in 3 equal parts.
• Lightly grease a cupcake tray with oil and gently line it with pattis.

• Bake at 180 degrees for 3-5 minutes.
• Cool and store in an air-tight container.

• Assemble right before serving .Fill the cups with refried beans, chopped vegetables and top with fresh salsa and mustard sauce.

• Add cheese/ sour cream if desired.

• Refried beans is nothing but red kidney beans (rajma) cooked with onion, garlic, tomatoes and spices.
• Instead of refried beans, readily available can of baked beans can also be used. 
• Cups can be baked before and stored in air-tight container.

A must try appetizer. What are you going to fill in these cups?? Start thinking and share your ideas with me too!

Don't forget to send me pictures on nishubes@gmail.com and tag me on facebook @nishubes.

Love

Nishu