Plantain Baskets Topped with Guacamole & Chicken Tikka

Plantain Baskets Topped with Guacamole & Chicken Tikka is my 7th Post for the #MyFriendAlexa Challenge via #BlogChatter

Fusion Food with Mexican Guacamole with Chicken Tikka

In lieu of the final week of the Masterchef Challenge, Chef Siddharth gave us a Fusion Food challenge. Naturally, it kept me thinking of various options but finally, I opted for these Mexican- Indian, Plantain Baskets Topped with Guacamole & Chicken Tikka. My daughter-in-law is Mexican and I make Guacamole quite often for her which she relishes with any roasted Indian Chicken. Incidentally, Mexicans use plantain too and that’s how I got the idea of using the plantain and making cute little baskets and topping them with Guacamole and Chicken Tikka.

How to make Plantain Baskets Topped with Guacamole & Chicken Tikka

In fact, it seemed a daunting task but at the end, it was worth the trouble. The smoky, grilled aroma and melt-in-mouth chunks of meat can be addictive. Actually, I love these grilled skewered kebabs as they are fast and fabulous and relished by one and all. Twice-fried plantains topped with avocado and roasted Chicken Tikka is the perfect savoury finger food or canapé. It goes well with drinks and good enough for kids too.

Ingredients for Plantain Baskets

1 plantain

1 tiny bowl for moulding

Oil for frying

Ingredients for Chicken Tikka

250 gms boneless chicken pieces

½ cups Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp Fresh cream

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. pepper powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder

 Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

1/2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 tsp crushed Kasuri methi

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tbsp edible oil

1/4 tsp red food colour

Ingredients for Guacamole

1 medium ripe avocado, halved and pitted

½ finely chopped white onion

1 sprig finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 small jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped

1 tsp lime juice (from about 1 ½ lime), or more if needed

1 teaspoon salt to taste

Method for Plantain Baskets

Firstly, start by peeling the plantains, then cut them into 1-inch slices. Next, fry the slices in plenty of hot oil until they are lightly browned.

Further, remove plantains slices from the oil and use a heavy bowl to crush them (be careful not to break them apart).

I took a terracotta diya or lamp and pressed each plantain slice into it and formed a basket shape. Remove and mould all the baskets. After that, re-fry until golden brown and set aside.

Method for Tikka

Secondly, wash the boneless chicken and pat dry and place in a bowl.

Add salt to taste, red chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, pepper powder and juice of one lime. Smear the chicken pieces nicely and keep aside.

Further on, in another bigger bowl, add the Greek yoghurt, cumin, coriander, garam masala powder, Kasuri methi, turmeric, food colour, cream, fresh coriander, oil and make a smooth silky marinade.

Consequently, add the boneless chicken pieces and coat them nicely so that they drown in this rich marinade. Give a mix. Finally, cover the marinated chicken and set aside for 4 hours.

Instead of grilling the chicken in the oven, I just pan-fried them

Take a non-stick pan, add 2 tbsp. oil and heat it. Place the marinated chicken on the pan and grill till nicely roasted on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Method for Guacamole

In the meantime, I’m preparing a guacamole recipe that I learnt from my Mexican Samdhan.

To prepare the avocado, simply scoop the avocado flesh into your bowl with a spoon. It is truly, a lot easier than dicing it. Diced avocado pieces are slippery.

For instance, if you have a gorgeous red summer tomato, you can chop and use it but my recipe doesn’t call for tomato. I also skipped the garlic, because I added it in the Tikka marinade.

I also added 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, which offers the irresistibility factor. Coriander is a little trick that I learned from Sylvie. Using a fork, mash up the avocado until it reaches your desired texture quickly add the onion, jalapeño, lime juice, coriander, and salt. Stir to combine.

Assembling the Plantain Baskets Topped with Guacamole & Chicken Tikka

Now that all your components are ready, it is time to assemble the hors de oeuvres. Take the baskets. Place a dollop of avocado in each fried plantain basket, then top with a chicken tikka and a sprinkle of crushed red and pepper.

Finally, your Plantain Baskets Topped with Guacamole & Chicken Tikka starters are ready to be served. A fusion of Mexican and Indian Cuisine just like my son, an Indian married a Mexican girl!

Incidentally, last year I had made baskets for Oreo Dessert with Lemon Curd and before that these baskets for Kale Mushroom quiche Cups with bread. Do check them out.

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