Tex Mex Lasagne

Anecdote

Samantha, the mother of my boy's best friend is someone I live in fear of. Whenever there is a plan of leaving home and running away from parents who have probably garnered up some courage to lecture or to scold on some burning issue, Samantha aunty and Johnny Uncle's house is the best option! They are the best parents in the "whole universe". Their house is the quintessential happy home. Johnny uncle plays football. Sleep-overs at their place are the best! And Samantha aunty makes us amazing food!

Well, on a serious note, agree with all of the above. A piano teacher, a lovely home-maker and a great friend, Samantha is like a gentle zephyr.  Spending time with the Lewises always leaves one with a feeling of calm and goodness. A few holidays, many lunches and dinners, some coffees and get-togethers down, I can vouch for Sam's niceness and her wholesome approach to life. I can also vouch for a bottomless wardrobe where interesting eclectic 'new but old' clothes come out every single time! It is truly like magic!

One such potluck a few evenings back, Sam got this delicious Tex-Mex Lasagne, an improvised recipe from Nigella Lawson's kitchen. It was devoured by all with gusto and delight.

Stuff that you must have

One packet of sweet corn
4/5 tortillas
4 large red onions, 2 chopped finely for the sauce and 2 chopped similarly for the filling.
1 kilo of boiled minced chicken (optional if you want to keep it vegetarian)
4 large tomatoes
1 cup of soaked and boiled kidney beans or 3/4 can of baked beans
A sprig of coriander stalk
2 green chillies
1 tbsp of vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of sugar
2 tsps of red chilly powder or red chilly flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste(optional)

What to do

To make the sauce; Boil 2 tomatoes and grill 1 tomato for 2/3 minutes each. Skin the tomatoes and chop them. In 2 tbsp oil, fry the onions till pink. Pop in the chopped tomatoes. Add finely chopped green chillies. Stir for a min and add finely chopped coriander stalks. Now add salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup and vinegar. Add 4 tbsp warm water. The sauce will taste like tomato salsa. To this add the boiled sweet corn. After 2 mins, take the sauce off the heat and keep aside.

To make the filling; In another warm wok, add 2 tbsp oil. Add the onions and  fry till they are transparent. Add the chicken and stir for 4 mins in low heat. Next add the beans. If you are using baked beans, Just add salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder or red chilly flakes. However If you are using kidney beans, stir in one chopped tomato, add 1/4 cup of warm water, a dash of ketch-up, salt to taste and a dash of chilly powder. For both cases, keep the filling in a low flame for 4/5 minutes. 

To construct; in a round baking dish, place one tortilla and spread out some sauce and some filling, sprinkle some grated Cheddar cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Repeat till you have 4 or 5 layers. Finally on the top sprinkle some cheese.

Bake for 15 mins at 150 degrees C. Serve hot.

How to serve

Layered nicely in a transparent round bowl is just perfect. 

Trivia

There are interesting theories about the origination of the Lasagne. Though famed as an Italian pasta there is a story that it was a Greek word which meant that it was a flat pasta dough cut into strips. Yet again one dates it back to 14th century England as a recipe in the reign of Richard II.