Chicken Enchilada

Chicken Enchilada with Tomatillo Cilantro Sauce

What I like about the recipe: Easy, simple ingredients, refrigerates and reheats well

Enchilada, literally translates to “to add chilli pepper to” which gives me the freedom to make it as hot and spicy as I like!!!

A dish with at least 12 possible variations and innumerable potential modifications is essentially so forgiving for any cook. The similarity of flavors, spices, ingredients and processing thereof between Mexican and Indian culinary exercise has always fascinated me. So I wished to begin my spree to Mexican cooking with some Enchiladas…… with as little freedom as possible!! Narrated herein the variation I tried and honestly, loved!

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

1.  Corn tortilla – I think flour/wheat tortillas will do as well
2. 2  Chicken breast
3. 1 large red onion finely sliced
4. 4 cloves of garlic
5. 2 serrano papers or to taste
6.  Few sprigs of fresh Cilantro chopped
7. 5-6 tomatillos
8.  Cooking oil
9.  Salt to taste
10.  2 tbsp lemon/lime juice
11.  Mexican three cheese mix – or your favorite cheese
12.  Jalapeno peppers (Optional)

Steps:

1. Slightly grease a baking tray and preheat oven to 350 deg F
2. Remove the green leafy part from the tomatillos
3. Place the tomatillos, Serrano peppers and garlic cloves on the baking tray and bake for 15 – 20 mins or until the skin is slightly charred
4. Allow to cool and remove the skin of the tomatillos
5. Grind the tomatillos, garlic, Serrano peppers, cilantro and lime/lemon juice together into a sauce consistency – give a test taste for heat and sourness
6. Poach the chicken breasts in boiling water, cool and shred lightly using a fork
7. Heat oil in a skillet, sauté onions till translucent
8. Add the chicken breasts and Jalapeno peppers if using
9. Add enough of the green sauce to coat the chicken well and stir to mix – keep aside some sauce for topping
10. Add salt to taste and allow the mixture to heat thoroughly
11. Soften the tortillas in a microwave or on a skillet – preferably follow the instruction on the package
12. The tortillas may also be soaked slightly in the sauce at this time
13. Place enough filling in the softened (or soaked in sauce) tortillas and fold like an Enchilada
14. Place each Enchilada in a greased baking dish with the folded side down
15. After all the Enchiladas have been placed together, pour the remaining sauce and top with cheese as desired
16. Bake at 350 deg F for 10 – 15 mins till the cheese has melted and is slightly golden brown