Vegan Quesadilla with Spicy Potato Filling

This vegan quesadilla is spicy, delicious and will make your nose run but in a good way!😂. Its filled with our favorite vegetable, the humble potato. But this isn't just any plain potato filling, The potatoes are cooked and simply spiced yet taste amazing. The spice that makes your nose run comes from the spicy red chutney that gets slathered on the tortillas. Add some cheese or vegan cheese and you have a delicious, creamy quesadilla thats so good if I say so myself!

When I was planning this recipe, I was trying to think what filling would work with this vegan quesadilla. I did not have to look too far for inspiration since my favorite filling has always been the filling and chutney found in the Mysore Masala Dosa! If you are Indian, you know how iconic this dish is and how delicious the filling is. I wanted the same flavors but in a more travel friendly and a bit more kid friendly medium. Add tortillas to the mix and this dish turns in to a wonderful amalgamation of Indo-Mexican flavors.

Ingredients do you need for the vegan quesadilla

Besides the tortillas, there are two main ingredient groups that goes in to the filling. The main filling is made with the potatoes and the chutney brings the spice. Both of them are prepared in Southern Indian style. There is a substitution section below which will guide you through any possible substitutions available.

For the potato filling

Potatoes - I used regular yellow golden potatoes. You can really use any potatoes of your choice and it will work great. If cooking them from scratch, the key is to ensure we cook the potatoes completely. I prefer pressure cooking or steaming them. I would even suggest quartering them before cooking to ensure it is all well cooked.

Pro Tip: In case you dont want to go through the process of cooking the potatoes, ready to eat mashed potatoes will also work here! The texture will be a lot more smoother but it should still taste great.

Spices, Herbs and Other Ingredients- We will use use whole spices like black mustard and powdered ones like turmeric and asafetida. Besides this we will need curry leaves, cilantro leaves, split black lentils, split chickpea lentils and green chillis.

For the spicy red chutney

Dry Red Chillis - The main color and spice comes in the chutney comes from a specific type of chilli called "Byadgi". It is aromatic, provides a rich color but it is fairly milder compared to other varieties of red chillis from India. You can find these in Indian stores and online. You can also substitute Kashmiri red chillis in a pinch. I would also recommend Mexican chiles like de arbol but the color and flavors will vary. We will soak the chillis in water to soften them before grinding.

Aromatics & Spices - The main flavors are from the chillis along with the onion and garlic. We will also use spices including turmeric,cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Another thing I add in is a little bit of split chickpea lentils which adds more flavor. It might seem odd to think of chickpeas lentils as being flavorful but trust me the lentils play an important role in the flavor here.

Tortillas - I love corn tortillas and thats what I used here.This will also keep it gluten free. You can also use all flour tortillas or ones which are a mix of both. They will all work beautifully here.

Equipment

We will need 2 pan(1 large and small), an instant pot/pressure cooker, blender or large mortar & pestle, tawa or griddle/skillet . You can also also boil the potatoes on the stove top in the larger pan if it is deep enough although it will take a lot more time than steaming/cooking it in the cooker.

Making the quesadillas

The main tip I can provide to make this as efficiently as possible is cooking /prepping when something else is cooking. We will first start off by prepping the potatoes.

1. Peel and quarter potatoes. Steam or pressure cook until completely cooked.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, prep the onion and other ingredients for both the filling and the chutney. You can also soak the red chillis in hot water at this point.
3. Once the potatoes have cooked and are cooling down, heat the large pan and follow the instructions for making the filling.The potatoes should have cooled down enough by the time you need to add them in. Add a little amount of water if you feel the potatoes are too dry. You will also find it easier to spread the filling on the tortilla.
4. When the filling is still cooking, heat the smaller pan and start roasting the ingredients for the chutney. Once they are done, grind all of them down with the soaked chillis.
5. Heat a tawa or a griddle and warm up the tortillas. Place one of them on the tawa and add a layer of the chutney on the inside. Spoon 2 spoonful of the filling and spread evenly. Top with any melting cheese of your choice. Place the other tortilla with some chutney smeared on the inside.
6. Press to ensure the tortillas stick to the filling. Flip after a few seconds. Once the cheese has melted, remove from heat. Top with some cilantro and serve with more chutney and sour cream.

Meal Prep Options

This meal is perfect for meal prepping. The potato filling can be used in a variety of ways.You can of course makes mysore masala dosas using the fillign and the chutney. You can also make breakfast sandwiches, burritos etc. As for the chutney, sky is the limit in terms of how you can use. Use it to smear on you bread toast, add it your salads as a dressing, top your pizzas with it...yes seriously try it and I promise, you will not go back!

The potato filling can be prepared and refrigerated or frozen ahead of time. It holds up great either way. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months. The chutney can also be refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3 months. If you find it has become a little thick, add a little bit of warm water and mix.

Reheating

Reheat the potato filling in the microwave. If frozen, then let it thaw out overnight. Heat in the microwave or in the conventional oven until warm. Add a little amount of water if the potatoes dry out. For the chutney, I would suggest leaving it to thaw overnight and lightly warming it. If its refrigerated, leave it out on the counter for a hour or so before using it as it is or lightly warming it.

Substitutions for the vegan quesadilla ingredients

I have never made this filling with anything besides potatoes but it would also go great with sweet potatoes although slighly sweeter. Zucchinis, cauliflower would also be a great lower carb options. Zucchinis can be cooked/roasted easily in the pan itself. For the cauliflower, I would suggest steaming/roasting it a bit to get them softer and easier to mash.

You can also add some canned chickpeas, pinto, cannellini/navy beans, rajma(red kidney beans). Make sure to mash them in well. You can add a layer of refried beans before putting in the filling. Crumbled tofu would also be a great option to add in more protein.

Find Indian or Thai green chiles too hot? Then sub with jalapeno or anaheim chiles. You can also skip the chiles entirely. Dont have sour cream? No worries, just use some yoghurt and it will be perfect. If you dont want to add cheese, just leave it out or add some nutritional yeast.

If you dont have curry leaves, you can leave them out. Although, I would encourage you to give them a try if you are new to them.

This recipe might seem complicated but trust me its a lot simplere than it looks and those vegan quesadilla are worth it! Let me know if you give this a try and what you thought of it. Please leave any questions or comments below. You can also find #dillandthyme on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

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