I am always surprised and amazed by the intensity of true Tex-Mex cuisine. I have been to Texas many many times in my life (went to graduate school in Austin) and yet, each time I am there, sampling the fantastic food, it takes me by surprise. Everything is more (then again, it is Texas!) – the spices, the tang and of course, the heat! The last time I was in Austin was a couple of years ago and the first thing we did was to get lunch at Polvos Downtown. Now let me start by saying there are fajitas and then there is the Fajita al Guajillo at Polvos. OMG!!
The Original
This is the original that I dream about! Pictured below is my lunch portion and I can tell you there were at least 12 large red chillies (Guajillo) mixed in with the chicken!! That should give you a sense of the smoky heat element in the dish but then they had raisins to add sweetness and pecans and peanuts for crunch along with the requisite colorful peppers. What an amazing combination!
The Knockoff
Last week I found the Spicewalla Street Taco Seasonings at my local Costco. The package included a Carne Asada spice mix that got me thinking about the fajitas at Polvos. Here is my attempt at a vegetarian version of the dish and because I am such a chicken with heat, I used only a couple of the large dried red chillies from my Indian pantry!
Ingredients
- Garlic
- Red Onion
- Jalapeños
- Red and green bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Celery
- Black Beans
- Frozen corn
- Roasted walnuts
- Raisins
- Dried red chillies (use as many as you dare depending on the type)
- Spicewalla Carne Asada spice mix
Method
- Chop all vegetables in medium-sized pieces.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan. Add the jalapeños, garlic, onions and red chillies. Cook for about 5 minutes till the onions are soft.
- Add all the other vegetables. Sprinkle the Carne Asada spices over the veggies. Add the walnuts and raisins and cook till the veggies are just cooked but still crunchy.
No salt added so far so don’t forget to sprinkle salt on your plate! Serve with corn tortillas and guacamole (recipe for homemade guacamole below). If the heat gets too much to handle, add sour cream on top to cool off! If you like, you can add some Spanish rice and beans as well for a more substantial meal.
Guacamole
Ingredients
I am giving you the general ingredients list – the amounts are up to you. Start with how you want your guacamole to taste and get there by varying the amounts of onions, heat, tomatoes and lime juice.
- Ripe avocados
- Chopped garlic
- Finely chopped jalapeños
- Diced red onions
- Cubed tomatoes
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime
- Cumin powder
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Add the garlic, jalapeños and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Mash down a bit with the back of a ladel.
- Now add the onions and some lime juice. This will help take some of the sting out of the onions.
- Add the tomatoes. Mash the avocados into the mixture using a sturdy fork. I like my guacamole chunky so this is enough. If you like it smooth then mash the avocados properly before adding to the bowl.
- Now add in the chopped cilantro and the rest of the lime juice.
- Freshly ground cumin powder sprinkled over the top releases just the right aroma and gives a nice earthy taste to the guacamole. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and you are done! I wait to sprinkle salt on my plate so I know exactly how much I am adding.
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or as a side with other Mexican inspired dishes. Enjoy!
Any hints on keeping the fresh avocado green??? Maybe just eat it quickly??? Lol
Avocado (& therefore Guacamole) turns brown due to oxidation. Citrus helps to slow down the oxidation process so adding a generous amount of lime juice to your guacamole is a good idea. However, the real key here is to prevent air from coming in contact with the avocado.
So, cover the surface of the cut avocado (or the top layer of the guacamole) with some lime juice. Then, cover the surface with a plastic wrap (touching the avocado so not much air can come in contact. Put it all in an airtight container and you should be ok. But of course, we never get to that point in our house – it’s always gone right away!