These fried wraps are a delightful Mexican creation, brimming with flavors of chicken, lime, and coriander, all wrapped in tortillas alongside gooey mozzarella, zesty black bean salsa, and a colorful slaw of carrots and beetroot.
Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Rukmini Iyer, who fondly recalls the chicken, lime, and coriander bagels from the now-closed Edinburgh eatery, Elephants and Bagels. “That was the best filling,” she reminisces. “I’ve been experimenting with it as a sandwich filling ever since. Then, it hit me that this combination would also make an amazing quesadilla, especially with added black beans for a plant-based twist and mozzarella for that unbeatable melty goodness. I was thrilled to find out I was right!”
Rukmini suggests this recipe as a fantastic way to utilize leftover roast chicken from your weekend dinners. But if you don’t have any leftovers, she has a quick fix: “I’ve provided an easy 15-minute poaching method for the chicken. And don’t stress about the slaw—it can be whipped up in just a few minutes using a food processor or a simple box grater works just as well.”
Ready to get started? Here’s what you’ll need for Rukmini’s Chicken, Lime, and Coriander Quesadillas with Carrot and Beetroot Slaw:
**Preparation and Cooking Time:**
– Prep: 20 minutes
– Cook: 30 minutes
– Serves: 2 today, 2 tomorrow
**Ingredients:**
– 250g free-range chicken breasts, cut into 2.5 cm chunks
– 750ml hot chicken stock
– Flaky sea salt
– 25g bag coriander (keep the stems, finely chop the leaves)
– 2 limes (peel 3 wide strips of zest from one; finely grate and juice the other)
– 40g mayonnaise
– 40g natural or Greek yogurt
– 150g mozzarella, roughly chopped
– 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
– 4 soft tortilla wraps
– 2 tbsp olive oil
**For the Slaw:**
– 1 lime, juiced
– 20ml extra-virgin olive oil
– 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
– 2 large beetroot, peeled and grated
**Instructions:**
1. Start by placing the chicken in a saucepan with the stock or boiling water, adding the coriander stems and lime zest strips. If you’re using water or unsalted stock, sprinkle in a teaspoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to just below a simmer and poach the chicken for about 15 minutes until fully cooked.
2. While the chicken is cooking, mix the coriander leaves, grated lime zest, lime juice, mayonnaise, yogurt, mozzarella, and black beans in a bowl. Set this aside.
3. For the slaw, whisk together the lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and one teaspoon of sea salt in another bowl. Stir in the grated carrot and beetroot, then taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
4. Once the chicken is done, drain it and discard the coriander stems and lime zest. Finely chop the chicken and fold it into the black bean mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, then divide the mixture evenly among the wraps and fold them in half.
5. Brush the outside of each wrap with olive oil. Heat a griddle pan or a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the quesadillas two at a time for three to four minutes on each side until they are golden brown.
6. Serve two quesadillas immediately with half of the slaw, and let the remaining two cool before refrigerating them for lunch the next day.
Rukmini’s recipe adds a touch of Mexican magic to your table, making it perfect for any occasion!
