Sabor Latino: Easy-to-prepare Latin Fusion Dishes

If you’re tired of the oldies you’ve been cooking for years, now is the time to scan the globe for palate inspiration. Popular ingredients in Latin dishes are joining forces with those from Asia, India and France to create flavorful dishes with an exotic twist. Las Fabulosas serves up cooking tips and secret recipes for multicultural food from chefs and restaurateurs at Latin fusion restaurants.

Indian-Latin Fusion

“Mexican and Indian food are very similar,” says Alex Nagal, General Manager and partner at Tandoory Taco in Texas. “They utilize many of the same ingredients with great health benefits.” Nagal shared a “Tandoory Taco” recipe that blends the best of both worlds.

Chicken Tikka Tacos

Marinade for chicken:

½ cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste 

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, cut into large bite-sized chunks

Marinade the chicken for one hour. Set oven to 375 degrees. Cook for 20 minutes or until well cooked. Slice cooked chicken into thin strips.

Tikka Sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoon butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

3 tablespoon ginger-garlic Paste

1 Serrano pepper, minced

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons paprika

6 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoons salt

1 cup water

½ cup heavy cream

Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish

Add oil and butter to pot, and heat until melted. Add onions and Serrano pepper, and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for three minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the garam masala, paprika and salt and cook for three minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens for about five minutes.

Asian-Latin Fusion

“Latin and Asian foods complement each other with their similar repertoire of base flavorings such as onion, garlic and chilies,” says Eric McKamey, Chef de Cuisine at Masa 14 in Washington, D.C. McKamey shared a tasty recipe that incorporates the best of east and west.

Crispy shrimp and potatoes with chipotle-sesame aioli

1 cup mayonnaise (preferably Japanese Kewpie, but any will work)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons chipotle en adobo, chopped fine to a puree

1.5 teaspoons sesame oil

For sauce, whisk all together.

Canola oil (as needed)

1 pound shrimp, peeled, de-veined

¼ pound potatoes cut into pieces of similar size to shrimp

½ cup rice flour

½ cup cornstarch

Cold water (as needed)

Fine sea salt to taste

Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain, and cool to room temperature.

Heat oil in a high-sided pot to 350 degrees. Whisk rice flour and cornstarch together. Add cold water to bring to the consistency of heavy cream. Divide into two bowls. Add shrimp to one bowl to coat, potatoes to the other bowl to coat.

Using chopsticks, gently place items in hot oil, cooking in batches (about two minutes). They will be crispy to the touch, but because of the type of flour, will still maintain a very pale color. Transfer to paper towels to drain, seasoning with salt.

To Serve:

Lime Wedges

Kimchi

Serve the shrimp and potatoes as soon as it is coming out of the fryer. Pass along with the Chipotle-Sesame Aioli, with lime wedges and kimchi.

French-Latin Explosión

At French-Mexican fusion restaurant Paloma, in Philadelphia, “French sauces become exciting when made with chili peppers or mamey; filet mignon is served with a cappuccino-chipotle-red wine reduction sauce,” says Barbara Cohan-Saavedra, dessert chef at Paloma. Cohan-Saavedra shares a Mexican haute cuisine recipe.

Wild mushroom flan

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup cooked sliced wild mushrooms

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon finely chopped epazote (an herb, available dry or fresh in Mexican groceries)

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms in a little olive oil until cooked, for about five minutes. You should have about one cup of cooked mushrooms. Add heavy cream and epazote. Bring to a boil. Simmer for four to five minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. In a small bowl, add eggs and egg yolks. Beat with a whisk until well blended. Add the cream and mushroom mixture. Mix until well blended. Correct seasoning.