South Asian Fusion Taco with Sri Lankan-Style Bacon

Directions

1. Boil water in a sauce pan and place the slab bacon with skin side down for 90 seconds and skin side up for 60 seconds.

2. Mix half of the dry spices and half of the ginger, garlic, and goraka paste to form a thick marinade and apply half the paste over the meat side of the slab bacon.

3. Place the meat in the bag for sous vide and refrigerate preferably overnight or 2 hours for deeper flavor.

4. Sous vide the meat for 10 hours at 145°F. Remove the meat from the sous vide bag and scrape off the marinade on the slab bacon as much as you can, saving the marinade in a separate container.

5. Heat a heavy skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add a touch of oil and sear the slab bacon pieces on all sides until browned and caramelized (about 1–2 minutes per side). Remove from heat and let rest.

6. Use a edge slicer knife to slice the meat to required size or portion.

7. For the sauce: In the sauce pan cook the sliced onions over medium heat until translucent or caramelized.

8. Add the curry leaves (use caution because they’ll pop/splatter when added to oil directly), cinnamon stick, and pandan leaves.

9. Gently add the chopped tomatoes and cook until it has a mushy consistency (the smaller the pieces, the faster it cooks).

10. Add the marinade that was separated after the sous vide was done from the meat along with the rest of the seasonings and mix it until incorporated.

11. Incorporate the seared slab bacon pieces to the sauce and mix gently until the meat is fully coated, then cook for about 5 minutes.

12. Dosa batter: In separate large bowl, rinse the rice and urad dal separately under running water until the water runs clear.

13. Soak the rice in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds in a separate bowl for the same duration.

14. After soaking, drain the water from the rice and dal.

15. In a blender or wet grinder, add the urad dal first. Add a little water (about 1/2 cup) and grind until smooth and fluffy.

    Tip: To know when the batter is ready, take a cup and fill it with normal temperature of water and drop a small amount of the urad dal batter in the water, if they drop like a ball, float and don’t separate in water they are ready.

16. Next, add the soaked rice to the blender or wet grinder. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in batches. Add water as needed to achieve a smooth but thick batter.

17. Once both are ground, combine the urad dal and rice mixtures in a large bowl. Mix well using a spatula.

18. Add salt to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons) and mix well.

19. Cover the bowl with a cloth or lid, allowing air to circulate. Place it in a warm spot for 8-12 hours or until the batter has risen and has a slightly sour smell.

20. After fermentation, the batter should be thick but pourable. If it’s too thick, add a little water to adjust the consistency. The dosa batter is now ready!

21. Cooking dosas: Heat a non-stick skillet or tawa.

22. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it in a circular motion to form a thin pancake.

23. Drizzle a little oil around the edges and cook until the bottom is golden brown.

24. Flip and cook the other side for a minute.

25. Assembly: The base is of the taco is a dosa (a crispy, crepe-like savory pancake from South Indian cuisine). Place one Sri Lankan-Style Sous Vide Bacon on each dosa. Top with freshly squeezed lemon juice to bring all of the flavors together.

26. Chef Notes: Other optional toppings include freeze-dried mango; pickled Thai chili with honey, a pinch of salt and 2 ounces of distilled vinegar; and chiffonade mint or cilantro.

    Cook time for dosa depends on the size of dosa you want to make.