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By Monday 1:34 AM 02 Apr, 2018

Even if you rarely dine on Mexican cuisine, you're probably quite familiar with tacos and burritos. But what about the other dishes you see on Mexican menus - like chile rellenos and taquitos? Every Mexican dish has its own flair, so read on to learn more about these lesser-known Mexican favorites.


Chile Rellenos
If you love peppers, then you will love chile rellenos. They're a Mexican version of stuffed peppers - roasted poblano chiles filled with peppers, onions, cheese, and sometimes other ingredients. The peppers are coated in an egg batter for a nice, crispy coating. Sometimes, chile rellenos are topped with mole sauce, a spicy chocolate sauce, before serving.


Taquitos
The word taquito means little taco, and that's pretty much what these delicious treats are. Typically served as an appetizer or snack, taquitos are tortillas that are stuffed with ingredients like beef, cheese, or even potatoes, and then deep fried until crispy.
Diners may dip them in salsa, guacamole, or queso. Traditionally, taquitos are made with corn tortillas. The same dish made with a flour tortilla is called a flauta.


Enchiladas
Enchiladas are as close to a casserole as you can get in Mexican cuisine. Corn tortillas are rolled around a savory filling that's often made with meat, chicken, or beans. The rolls are lined up in a pan and covered with chile sauce and cheese. Then, they are baked until warm and eaten with a fork. Enchiladas can be messy, but they're great comfort food.


Tamales
Tamales have an ancient history - there is evidence of them being made as early as 8000 B.C. Tamales are made with a corn-based dough called masa, which is wrapped in a corn husk and then steamed.
Sometimes, tamales are stuffed with chile peppers, cheese, or pork. The steaming liquid is often seasoned to impart extra flavor to the masa. Before eating the tamale, you peel the corn husk away, revealing soft, flavorful masa.


Chimichangas
Their name may be tough to say, but once you try a chimichanga, you'll order them again and again. This dish is thought to have been brought to the United States by Mexican immigrants who moved into Arizona.
Crispy and delicious, chimichangas are essentially deep fried burritos. A flour tortilla is stuffed with rice, cheese, beans, and various meats and then fried in canola or corn oil. Some people dip their chimichangas into salsa, and others prefer sour cream or guacamole.


Tostadas
Fine dining restaurants have begun creating deconstructed versions of classic dishes. The tostada took this deconstructed approach before it was cool - tostadas are essentially deconstructed tacos.
The base is made from a crunchy, fried, flat tortilla. Chicken or pork is layered onto the tortilla, along with refried beans and various toppings like cilantro, onion, and sour cream. You typically eat a tostada with a fork.


Fajitas
When served fajitas, customers often ponder as to how they differ from tacos. The difference lies in the fillings. The base of the taco filling is meat, which is usually cooked alone without vegetables. Fajitas are stuffed with meat that has been prepared with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Chicken and beef fajitas are both common.
Some restaurants serve fajitas unassembled and let customers assemble them at the table. In this case, you are given a plate of onions, peppers, meats, and toppings like sour cream and guacamole. You custom-stuff your fajitas in either corn or flour tortillas.
Now that you're more familiar with these excellent Mexican dishes, it's time to visit a Mexican restaurant. El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering

By Thursday 2:47 AM 11 Jan, 2018

Catering food for a celebration is the ultimate birthday treat. You do not have to worry about setting up, cooking, or planning out the meals. Everything is done for you and your only responsibility is to eat.


If Mexican is one of your favorite foods, then you can rely on an authentic Mexican restaurant to cater your meals. When choosing Mexican catering, there are multiple options to consider. The final choice you make depends on the type of Mexican food you want and how you want the set-up displayed.
Browse through different ideas to see what the best options are for the birthday party you're planning. You even have the option of mixing multiple types together to fit your custom catering needs.


1. Nacho Bar
Nachos are often a favorite Mexican food, and party guests can enjoy exactly what they want with a nacho bar. A catering company has the ability to set up an all-in-one nacho bar with all the fresh and hot toppings guests will want.
The base of the nacho bar would include the chips. You can select standard tortilla chips and feature an alternative option like salt-free or corn-based chips. The main protein of a nacho bar can feature seasoned ground beef or another meat, like steak or chicken. Depending on your budget, you can even feature multiple meats for the nachos.
A number of fresh toppings can also be added to the nacho bar selection. This includes cheese, peppers, various types of beans, and other vegetables like olives.


2. Taco Platters
For quick meal options, you may order catering with pre-made taco platters. With taco platters, you can customize the tacos any way you want, and they will come served this way. For example, you may want a basic taco with meat cheese and tomato. You also have the option of loading tacos up with a lot of extras.
When ordering taco platters, you also have the option of selecting between hard-shell or soft-shell tacos. You can mix the two together to increase the variety. Even though the tacos will come pre-made, you have a number of extras that can be added to them.
A catering company can provide your birthday celebration with sour cream and a variety of salsas. Having different salsas available will give people option to select various spice levels.


3. Mexican Finger Foods
The type of birthday party you're hosting may not encourage sitting for a formal meal. In this case, you can still enjoy a variety of Mexican foods — but in an easy-to-eat style. Catering options include a variety of finger foods that can be combined to form a large platter.


Mexican finger foods come in several forms and easy-to-grab options. This also includes a number of fried Mexican foods. One of the main options to choose from is a taquito. These are essentially rolled tacos that have been filled with ingredients and deep-fried. A taquito platter can include a variety of flavors and all types of different dipping options.
Jalapeno poppers and other types of Mexican poppers are also options to select from. Quesadillas can be cut up and served in easy-to-grab slices. The large platters are maintenance-free and require very little when it comes to extras like forks and napkins.


4. Breakfast Bars
If you're throwing a brunch or a celebration earlier in the day, then you may want to consider breakfast bar catering. Mexican foods and breakfast foods mix together for a fresh blend of delicious flavors and options. When choosing catering, one of the more ideal options is a breakfast burrito bar. Guests go up to the bar and put together their own breakfast burrito filled with eggs, peppers, and all other types of toppings.
Our catering department at El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering  can help you plan everything you need for a great birthday celebration. Take a look at our catering menu as you plan your party.

By Monday 2:08 AM 30 Oct, 2017

It's difficult to imagine Mexican food without the tortilla. Traditionally made from corn flour, these flat breads are a staple of the diet in Mexico and also a hallmark element of Mexican cuisine in the United States. You've probably consumed hundreds of tortillas in your lifetime, but how much do you really know about their history and how they are made? Here's a glimpse into the legend that is the tortilla.


History of the Tortilla

Tortillas can be traced back to the Aztec Mexicans, who were making flat corn breaks long before Hernando Cortez landed in North America in the 1500s. Manuscripts from this time affirm that the Aztec diet was based on corn and tortillas, and tortillas remained a mainstay as the population and politics of Mexico evolved over the following centuries.


Before the 1900s, making tortillas was a very time-consuming process, largely because the corn used to make the tortillas had to be ground by hand. In the 1940s, people began using small, motor-powered grinders to make corn flour, or masa. This change sped up the tortilla-making process. In the 1960s, inventors came up with the first tortilla-making machines.


How Tortillas Are Made

Corn tortillas are made from a simple mixture of masa harina (a finely ground corn flour) and water. Similarly, flour tortillas are made from wheat flour and water. Sometimes tortilla recipes call for salt and leavening agents, especially for flour tortillas. The mixture is portioned into balls, pressed into a flat patty and then toasted to perfection.

Large-scale producers churn out thousands of tortillas at a time, but the quality often suffers because preservatives must be used to keep the tortillas fresh until they're sold to the consumer. Small-batch tortillas are tender and more flavorful.

El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering makes our tortillas daily without any preservatives or additives. We got our start as a tortilla factory, and our freshly made corn and flour tortillas are still a mainstay of the community.


How Tortillas Are Used

Tortillas have hundreds of uses in Mexican cuisine. They can be fried to make chips, which you can dip into salsa, guacamole or queso. They can be filled with meats, cheese and veggies to make tacos or stuffed with beans and rice to make a burrito.

Of course, since tortillas are a major component of much Mexican cuisine, you might not be familiar with other entrees that use them. The dishes named below really emphasize how delicious and versatile fresh-made tortillas are.


Chimichangas

Chimichangas are essentially fried burritos. A large flour tortilla is stuffed with beans, shredded beef or chicken, lettuce and cheese and then fried to create a crunchy outer coating. The crispy fried tortilla provides a lovely contrast to the melted cheese and tender meat inside the chimichanga. Many people eat chimichangas with sour cream and guacamole on the side for dipping.


Enchiladas

Enchiladas are small corn tortillas stuffed with meats and cheese, rolled tightly, baked and topped with a chili sauce. Vegetarians love cheese enchiladas, which are stuffed with cheese and diced onions. Carnitas, or pork, enchiladas are also quite popular. Enchiladas have a tender texture and are typically eaten with a fork.


Flautas

Flautas are small flour tortillas stuffed with meat or vegetables, and then deep-fried. They are often dipped in salsa, cheese or guacamole. You can eat flautas stuffed with chicken, beef or potato. They're a popular snack or appetizer item due to their small size.

Without the tortilla, Mexican cuisine would be virtually nonexistent. Whether you're a fan of tacos, nachos, flautas or burritos, be sure to stop by El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering  to enjoy our fresh Mexican cuisine. We even sell bags of our homemade tortillas for customers to take home.

By Wednesday 2:13 AM 05 Jul, 2017

No matter where you are in the country, you can count on finding a Mexican restaurant in your city. In 2011, ABC News reported that the country is home to 38,000 Mexican restaurants.

There are several key reasons why Mexican food is so popular throughout the country. Here are just a few of those reasons.


1. It Contains Fresh Ingredients From All Food Groups

Many Americans aim for a balanced, nutritious diet. Fortunately, Mexican restaurants typically offer more nutritious options than many other types of restaurants do. Mexican dishes often include items from every food group, including protein, grains and vegetables. They often include protein sources like beans and meat along with vegetables like avocados, tomatoes, peppers and limes.


In addition, Mexican recipes usually include fresh vegetables and other ingredients. These ingredients often come directly from a farm rather than from a can. Diners can enjoy both the taste and the nutrients of these ingredients.


2. It Is Flavorful

As soon as you take a bite into a Mexican dish, you can taste a variety of powerful and delicious flavors. Mexican food has many spices and natural flavorings that make it far from bland and boring. Plus, these foods are topped with a variety of different savory sauces.
Mole: a sauce that includes chilies, onions, and other flavorings. Mole negro is made with cocoa, while mole Amarillo is made with almonds and raisins.
Salsa: a mixture of tomatoes, onions, chilies and cilantro. Salsa verde includes green tomatoes, while salsa roja includes red tomatoes.
Guacamole: a combination of avocado, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, and seasoning.
Pico de gallo: a hot sauce that's made from peppers, cilantro, tomatoes and onion.
These delicious sauces add a tangy touch to already-flavorful Mexican dishes.


3. It Is Affordable

At most Mexican restaurants, diners get a lot of food for their money. Many Mexican restaurants sell large platters of food for under $20. For a decent price, diners get a wide variety of food, including meat, beans, rice and vegetables.


4. It's an Important Part of America's Cultural Heritage

According to the Pew Research Center, there are 57 million Hispanics in the United States, and two-thirds of those people are of Mexican heritage.
When Mexicans first immigrated to the United States many years ago, they brought their food traditions with them. With many Mexican immigrants arriving in the United States over the years, it makes sense that Mexican food would become an important part of American cuisine.
Mexican food traditions began to catch on among all cultural groups in America and continue to be popular today. In fact, according to one Statistics survey, more than 233 million Americans use Mexican food and ingredients in their cooking.


5. It Offers Many Options

Mexican restaurants offer a variety of options to fit everyone's taste buds. Some common Mexican food dishes include:

  • Burritos
  • Carne Asada
  • Chile Rellenos
  • Chimichangas
  • Enchiladas
  • Fajitas
  • Flautas
  • Tacos
  • Tamales
  • Taquitos


With so many options, diners can try something new every time they visit a Mexican restaurant.
These are just a few of the many reasons why Mexican food is incredibly popular throughout the United States. If you're trying to decide on a restaurant to visit with friends, a Mexican restaurant is a good choice. Your friends will enjoy both the delicious food and the festive atmosphere. Likewise, if you need a party or event catered, Mexican food is also a great choice. It's loved by most people and is sure to please the majority of your guests.

If you're in the San Diego area, turn to   El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering . We've served the finest Mexican food since 1940.

By Monday 1:34 AM 02 Apr, 2018

Even if you rarely dine on Mexican cuisine, you're probably quite familiar with tacos and burritos. But what about the other dishes you see on Mexican menus - like chile rellenos and taquitos? Every Mexican dish has its own flair, so read on to learn more about these lesser-known Mexican favorites.


Chile Rellenos
If you love peppers, then you will love chile rellenos. They're a Mexican version of stuffed peppers - roasted poblano chiles filled with peppers, onions, cheese, and sometimes other ingredients. The peppers are coated in an egg batter for a nice, crispy coating. Sometimes, chile rellenos are topped with mole sauce, a spicy chocolate sauce, before serving.


Taquitos
The word taquito means little taco, and that's pretty much what these delicious treats are. Typically served as an appetizer or snack, taquitos are tortillas that are stuffed with ingredients like beef, cheese, or even potatoes, and then deep fried until crispy.
Diners may dip them in salsa, guacamole, or queso. Traditionally, taquitos are made with corn tortillas. The same dish made with a flour tortilla is called a flauta.


Enchiladas
Enchiladas are as close to a casserole as you can get in Mexican cuisine. Corn tortillas are rolled around a savory filling that's often made with meat, chicken, or beans. The rolls are lined up in a pan and covered with chile sauce and cheese. Then, they are baked until warm and eaten with a fork. Enchiladas can be messy, but they're great comfort food.


Tamales
Tamales have an ancient history - there is evidence of them being made as early as 8000 B.C. Tamales are made with a corn-based dough called masa, which is wrapped in a corn husk and then steamed.
Sometimes, tamales are stuffed with chile peppers, cheese, or pork. The steaming liquid is often seasoned to impart extra flavor to the masa. Before eating the tamale, you peel the corn husk away, revealing soft, flavorful masa.


Chimichangas
Their name may be tough to say, but once you try a chimichanga, you'll order them again and again. This dish is thought to have been brought to the United States by Mexican immigrants who moved into Arizona.
Crispy and delicious, chimichangas are essentially deep fried burritos. A flour tortilla is stuffed with rice, cheese, beans, and various meats and then fried in canola or corn oil. Some people dip their chimichangas into salsa, and others prefer sour cream or guacamole.


Tostadas
Fine dining restaurants have begun creating deconstructed versions of classic dishes. The tostada took this deconstructed approach before it was cool - tostadas are essentially deconstructed tacos.
The base is made from a crunchy, fried, flat tortilla. Chicken or pork is layered onto the tortilla, along with refried beans and various toppings like cilantro, onion, and sour cream. You typically eat a tostada with a fork.


Fajitas
When served fajitas, customers often ponder as to how they differ from tacos. The difference lies in the fillings. The base of the taco filling is meat, which is usually cooked alone without vegetables. Fajitas are stuffed with meat that has been prepared with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Chicken and beef fajitas are both common.
Some restaurants serve fajitas unassembled and let customers assemble them at the table. In this case, you are given a plate of onions, peppers, meats, and toppings like sour cream and guacamole. You custom-stuff your fajitas in either corn or flour tortillas.
Now that you're more familiar with these excellent Mexican dishes, it's time to visit a Mexican restaurant. El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering

By Thursday 2:47 AM 11 Jan, 2018

Catering food for a celebration is the ultimate birthday treat. You do not have to worry about setting up, cooking, or planning out the meals. Everything is done for you and your only responsibility is to eat.


If Mexican is one of your favorite foods, then you can rely on an authentic Mexican restaurant to cater your meals. When choosing Mexican catering, there are multiple options to consider. The final choice you make depends on the type of Mexican food you want and how you want the set-up displayed.
Browse through different ideas to see what the best options are for the birthday party you're planning. You even have the option of mixing multiple types together to fit your custom catering needs.


1. Nacho Bar
Nachos are often a favorite Mexican food, and party guests can enjoy exactly what they want with a nacho bar. A catering company has the ability to set up an all-in-one nacho bar with all the fresh and hot toppings guests will want.
The base of the nacho bar would include the chips. You can select standard tortilla chips and feature an alternative option like salt-free or corn-based chips. The main protein of a nacho bar can feature seasoned ground beef or another meat, like steak or chicken. Depending on your budget, you can even feature multiple meats for the nachos.
A number of fresh toppings can also be added to the nacho bar selection. This includes cheese, peppers, various types of beans, and other vegetables like olives.


2. Taco Platters
For quick meal options, you may order catering with pre-made taco platters. With taco platters, you can customize the tacos any way you want, and they will come served this way. For example, you may want a basic taco with meat cheese and tomato. You also have the option of loading tacos up with a lot of extras.
When ordering taco platters, you also have the option of selecting between hard-shell or soft-shell tacos. You can mix the two together to increase the variety. Even though the tacos will come pre-made, you have a number of extras that can be added to them.
A catering company can provide your birthday celebration with sour cream and a variety of salsas. Having different salsas available will give people option to select various spice levels.


3. Mexican Finger Foods
The type of birthday party you're hosting may not encourage sitting for a formal meal. In this case, you can still enjoy a variety of Mexican foods — but in an easy-to-eat style. Catering options include a variety of finger foods that can be combined to form a large platter.


Mexican finger foods come in several forms and easy-to-grab options. This also includes a number of fried Mexican foods. One of the main options to choose from is a taquito. These are essentially rolled tacos that have been filled with ingredients and deep-fried. A taquito platter can include a variety of flavors and all types of different dipping options.
Jalapeno poppers and other types of Mexican poppers are also options to select from. Quesadillas can be cut up and served in easy-to-grab slices. The large platters are maintenance-free and require very little when it comes to extras like forks and napkins.


4. Breakfast Bars
If you're throwing a brunch or a celebration earlier in the day, then you may want to consider breakfast bar catering. Mexican foods and breakfast foods mix together for a fresh blend of delicious flavors and options. When choosing catering, one of the more ideal options is a breakfast burrito bar. Guests go up to the bar and put together their own breakfast burrito filled with eggs, peppers, and all other types of toppings.
Our catering department at El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering  can help you plan everything you need for a great birthday celebration. Take a look at our catering menu as you plan your party.

By Monday 2:08 AM 30 Oct, 2017

It's difficult to imagine Mexican food without the tortilla. Traditionally made from corn flour, these flat breads are a staple of the diet in Mexico and also a hallmark element of Mexican cuisine in the United States. You've probably consumed hundreds of tortillas in your lifetime, but how much do you really know about their history and how they are made? Here's a glimpse into the legend that is the tortilla.


History of the Tortilla

Tortillas can be traced back to the Aztec Mexicans, who were making flat corn breaks long before Hernando Cortez landed in North America in the 1500s. Manuscripts from this time affirm that the Aztec diet was based on corn and tortillas, and tortillas remained a mainstay as the population and politics of Mexico evolved over the following centuries.


Before the 1900s, making tortillas was a very time-consuming process, largely because the corn used to make the tortillas had to be ground by hand. In the 1940s, people began using small, motor-powered grinders to make corn flour, or masa. This change sped up the tortilla-making process. In the 1960s, inventors came up with the first tortilla-making machines.


How Tortillas Are Made

Corn tortillas are made from a simple mixture of masa harina (a finely ground corn flour) and water. Similarly, flour tortillas are made from wheat flour and water. Sometimes tortilla recipes call for salt and leavening agents, especially for flour tortillas. The mixture is portioned into balls, pressed into a flat patty and then toasted to perfection.

Large-scale producers churn out thousands of tortillas at a time, but the quality often suffers because preservatives must be used to keep the tortillas fresh until they're sold to the consumer. Small-batch tortillas are tender and more flavorful.

El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering makes our tortillas daily without any preservatives or additives. We got our start as a tortilla factory, and our freshly made corn and flour tortillas are still a mainstay of the community.


How Tortillas Are Used

Tortillas have hundreds of uses in Mexican cuisine. They can be fried to make chips, which you can dip into salsa, guacamole or queso. They can be filled with meats, cheese and veggies to make tacos or stuffed with beans and rice to make a burrito.

Of course, since tortillas are a major component of much Mexican cuisine, you might not be familiar with other entrees that use them. The dishes named below really emphasize how delicious and versatile fresh-made tortillas are.


Chimichangas

Chimichangas are essentially fried burritos. A large flour tortilla is stuffed with beans, shredded beef or chicken, lettuce and cheese and then fried to create a crunchy outer coating. The crispy fried tortilla provides a lovely contrast to the melted cheese and tender meat inside the chimichanga. Many people eat chimichangas with sour cream and guacamole on the side for dipping.


Enchiladas

Enchiladas are small corn tortillas stuffed with meats and cheese, rolled tightly, baked and topped with a chili sauce. Vegetarians love cheese enchiladas, which are stuffed with cheese and diced onions. Carnitas, or pork, enchiladas are also quite popular. Enchiladas have a tender texture and are typically eaten with a fork.


Flautas

Flautas are small flour tortillas stuffed with meat or vegetables, and then deep-fried. They are often dipped in salsa, cheese or guacamole. You can eat flautas stuffed with chicken, beef or potato. They're a popular snack or appetizer item due to their small size.

Without the tortilla, Mexican cuisine would be virtually nonexistent. Whether you're a fan of tacos, nachos, flautas or burritos, be sure to stop by El Indio Mexican Restaurant and Catering  to enjoy our fresh Mexican cuisine. We even sell bags of our homemade tortillas for customers to take home.

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