Birria Tacos
This is a Taco Tuesday recipe that you'll want to cook every night of the week. These are no regular vegan tacos, oh no. We've pushed the boundaries of what plants can achieve, dunking the tacos in ragu sauce before cooking them to make them even more flavoursome - admittedly also a bit more messy!
Serves
Ingredients
For the ragu
<item-todo-done>4 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tbsp harissa paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp Marmite<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp chipotle paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500ml boiling water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500g king oyster mushrooms<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 vegetable stock pot<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 garlic cloves - peeled and sliced <item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 onions - peeled and finely sliced<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 aubergines<item-todo-done>
For the tacos
<item-todo-done>70g plant-based cheddar grated<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>70g plant-based mozzarella<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>8 mini tortilla wraps<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done> chopped coriander<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 190℃, fan setting | 2 baking trays | Large heavy bottom saucepan | Powerful Blender
Make the ragu base
- Slice the aubergines in half lengthways and place onto a large baking tray
- Drizzle with olive oil and salt before roasting for 30 minutes until soft
- Pull the mushrooms apart with your hands and place onto a separate baking tray, sprinkle with the paprika and drizzle with olive oil and salt
- Mix well and cook for 30 minutes until soft
While the mushrooms and aubergines are cooking, make the ragu sauce
- Peel and dice the onions and garlic
- Place a large heavy bottom saucepan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil
- Once warm, add the diced onion, garlic and a pinch of salt
- Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the onions turn soft
- At this point, add the chopped tomatoes, chipotle paste, marmite, harissa paste, stock pot and boiling water
- Bring to the boil before reducing the temperature and leaving to simmer for 15-20 minutes
Make the dipping sauce
- Before adding the aubergines and mushrooms, spoon half of the mixture into a powerful blender and blend until smooth - you may need to leave it to cool a little first then leave to one side for dipping later
Finish the ragu
- Once the aubergines are cooked, remove them from the oven and pull the flesh apart using a fork
- Add the pulled flesh into the remaining ragu mixture, along with the cooked mushrooms
- Mix well so everything is combined
Finish the tacos
- Pour the blended sauce into a bowl and dip each wrap in, coating both sides before laying them on a chopping board or plate - you can do these one by one or a bunch at a time
- Place a large pan (or 2) over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil
- Once warm, add a whole wrap at a time into the pan and cook for few seconds
- Scatter some grated cheese over the wrap before topping with some aubergine & mushroom ragu
- Flip half of the wrap over on itself and cook on each side for a couple of minutes until golden
- Repeat the process until all of the tacos are cooked
- Transfer all of the tacos to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce on the side