Corn chips par Kheemo (Bawa Nachos)

Somewhere, some ancient mexican granny is probably turning over in her grave as she continues to read this blog post.Yes, this is a post about  my love for nachos and my unique version of Bawi nachos that I will call Corn chips par Kheemo to:

1. Make all the bawas proud of me in the fact that I have bawa-fied yet another international hallmark dish
2. To prevent the mexicans cringing in horror of what I have done to their national dish.

So, I love nachos – they are the perfect bar snack and even better to serve when you have a hungry horde of friends coming over. So simple to make, yet bursting with flavour! I used to be quite the nacho purist back in my NZ days (even taking the effort to make my own home-made guacamole) and running down to the grocery store for a pot of fresh cream to make them taste perfect.

This has all changed since I became a Bawi Bride in India where if I ask my corner store for Guacamole he looks at me like an alien and where in the cost of 1 sad avocado I can buy a half kilo of mango’s instead. Let’s not get started on my quest to find tinned chilli beans that don’t cost a bomb. The only thing infact that is available is corn-chips.

So, I’ve improvised and made my own version of nachos which amazingly the Mr. and the In-laws seem to love. Here’s how you can make them too:

To make enough for 7 really hungry people and for leftovers you will need:
2.5 big packets of corn chips
1/2 kg kheema
1/2 kg raw rajma beans, coriander
2 tsp each of turmeric, red chilli, garam masala and cumin powder
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 small onions finely chopped
Old el Paso Chilli spice mix (1/3 packet)
250 gm grated cheese
1/2 bottle of Ragu pasta sauce

If you are making this at night,

1. soak the rajma in the morning until they have expanded and boil them in the pressure cooker for almost 45 minutes – they have to be soft enough to be easily mashed.
2. Marinate the kheema with all the usual spices and refrigerate for the spices to sink in

For the nacho mix in a big crockpot, add some ginger garlic paste, oil and the onions and stir until soft. Add in the kheema and the chilli mix and stir until it’s all mixed. Once the mince starts getting semi-cooked, take a handful of cooked rajma at a time and add into the pot, mashing it as you go.

Mix with a potato masher and feel like you are a pav bhaji pro at Sardar Pav Bhaji wala. In 3 minutes, snap out of your day dream and add in the pasta sauce, coriander, and some more spices based on your tastebuds. You should have a mixture now like below:

 This next step is optional – Line 3 baking trays with corn chips, layer on the nacho mix and top it with cheese. Bake until the cheese is golden and serve hot. I like to do this step for my family as everyone is too lazy to make their own nachos on the table and I am scared that the kheema mixture will disappear.

For the nacho purists who like the crispy texture: At the dining table, line your plate with corn chips, pour the mixture, top it of with grated cheese and wait 2 mins for the cheese to melt. Dig in.