We love a good dupe, so when we were developing our house Taco Masala, we knew that we wanted to create the crunchwrap of our dreams. Our version started with a crumbled paneer filling, bolstered by red and green peppers, plus a hearty dose of taco masala. The filling is layered with black beans, a crunchy tostada, avocado-cilantro crema, crisp iceberg, diced tomato, and more grated cheese, wrapped up in a flour tortilla, and grilled until golden-crisp. Best enjoyed with a handful of hot sauce packets pulled from your condiment drawer.
Asha's Spicy Paneer Crunchwrap
We love a good dupe, so when we were developing our house Taco Masala, we knew that we wanted to create the crunchwrap of our dreams. Our version started with a crumbled paneer filling, bolstered by red and green peppers, plus a hearty dose of taco masala. The filling is layered with black beans, a crunchy tostada, avocado-cilantro crema, crisp iceberg, diced tomato, and more grated cheese, wrapped up in a flour tortilla, and grilled until golden-crisp. Best enjoyed with a handful of hot sauce packets pulled from your condiment drawer.
Ingredients
For the filling and beans
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or rapeseed
- 1 small white or yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 poblano pepper, finely diced
- 1 serrano pepper, minced (optional)
- 6 to 8 ounces paneer, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons Taco Masala
- 1¾ teaspoons Surya Salt or 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained well
- ½ teaspoon ground Jodhana Cumin
For the sauce & assembly
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 medium-to-large avocado
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 serrano pepper, roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Pahadi Pink Garlic
- ¾ teaspoons Surya Salt or ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 burrito-size flour tortillas, or 4 large flour tortillas + 4 soft taco-size flour tortillas
- 4 store-bought tostada shells
- 1 cup grated Mexican blend cheese
- 1½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 plum tomatoes, diced
- Your favorite hot sauce, for serving
Methods
- To make the paneer filling, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, red bell pepper, poblano, serrano, if using, and 1 teaspoon Surya Salt or ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onions start to turn light brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Push the onions and peppers to the sides of the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, pour the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil in the open space and then add the crumbled paneer as close to a single layer as possible. Cook, undisturbed, until the paneer turns light golden on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir together the paneer and vegetables, then add the taco masala and cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Add ¼ cup water, reduce the heat back to medium, and cook, stirring frequently until most of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
- To prepare the beans, place 3 tablespoons of the aquafaba or liquid from the can in a microwave safe bowl. Drain the black beans, rinsing them well, and transfer to the bowl with the aquafaba along with the cumin and the remaining ¾ teaspoon Surya Salt or ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Microwave on high until warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the wattage of your microwave. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the means into a coarse paste. You want the mixture to be thick and spreadable, but if it is too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
- To make the sauce, place the sour cream, avocado, cilantro, serrano pepper, lime zest, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Transfer to a small bowl. (If using later, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the sauce, and refrigerate until ready to use.)
- To assemble, place one burrito-size tortilla on your work surface and top with ¼ of the paneer mixture, spread it into the size of your tostada shell. Take the tostada shell and spread with a thin layer of the black beans, then flip it over so the black bean side is on the bottom against the paneer. Spread a couple tablespoons of the avocado-cilantro crema in an even layer across the top of the tostada shell, then top with a handful of iceberg lettuce, some diced tomatoes, and ¼ cup grated Mexican cheese blend. Starting with one side, fold the tortilla inward, creating a closed pentagon. If the tortilla is too small, you can place a small, soft taco-size flour tortilla in the center to make sure the crunch wrap is fully sealed. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to create a total of 4 crunchwraps.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and place one crunchwrap seal side-down in the pan, and cook until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Repeat the toasting process with the remaining assembled crunchwraps. Serve with any extra avocado-cilantro crema for dipping, plus your favorite hot sauce.