There’s more to Mexican food than just nachos and burritos. A Mexican brunch hosted recently at Cafe Swiss in Swissotel served up the relatively lesser-exposed carnitas (deep-fried pork ribs), tamale (dough stuffed with cheese and steamed in corn leaves), Chilli con Carne (minced tenderloin stew) and Papas al Cilantro (baby potatoes with fresh coriander). There was a live quesadilla station too.

“The flavours of Indian food are very similar to Mexican food. Both the cuisines are hot and spicy. We use a lot of chillies in Mexican food, both fresh and dry. And lemon is added to everything, even dessert!” said visiting chef Lilia Castro from Mexico. On her wish list is her own restaurant some day, “one that serves Indo-Mexican cuisine”. And she’d already started a love afair with mihidana in Calcutta.

Lilia had served up a range of everyday food from Mexico, including Three Bean Salad and Blackened Chicken Salad and the Mexican national dish Mole Poblano. This thick sauce is made from many ingredients including chillies, nuts and chocolate — yes, you read that right! The sauce is stuffed in tamales, used in fajitas or even had with meat. Of course, the deep-fried churros and Arroz con Leche (Mexican rice pudding) were the stars of the dessert counter. Swissotel plans to introduce some of the dishes in the Cafe Swiss menu in the coming months.

Deborima Ganguly
Picture: Anindya Shankar Ray