I love hot and spicy food. Something that comes from home, I guess. I love the burn in my mouth, it always builds up appetite for me. And you could also say, that the pain makes the pleasure more interesting.

But why four? Well, some would say, the more the merrier. But that’s not all. Different kinds of chili peppers give different sensation in one’s mouth. Some are flavorful and some just burn, some hit and go while others are there to stay. With a good balance between different kinds you can get the ultimate spicy experience: burning-flavorful sensation that hit you in the face and doesn’t want to leave.

As for the burritos themselves: there are some classical ingredients in every burritos, and some that can be added according to your good imagination. Spiced beans (Frijoles Rancheros), guacamole and tomato salsa are there. Many use rice, I don’t find it to contribute anything, so I leave it out. I do add mashed sweet potato that gives it a lovely mellow texture and a sweet note, and stripes of fried oyster mushroom to give some meaty texture.

The beans were cooked with fresh Habanero peppers, they are very spicy, but also fruity and flavorful. The tomato salsa contains fresh Jalapenos, that are mild in spiciness but full of strong capsicum note, the guacamole is strengthened with Thai bird’s eye peppers, that slap you in the face with a very high level of hotness, but disappear after a short moment, and to conclude, the sweet potato is seasoned with dry cayenne pepper that give a medium but present spiciness that is there to stay.

The amounts are for 3 burritos.

Guacamole
2 small haas avocados
1 lime
1/2 red onion
1 small tomato
leaves from 8 branches of cilantro
1 bird’s eye chili
salt

Empty the avocado into a plate. Squeeze the juice out of the lime, and mash together with a fork. Chop finely the rest of the ingredients, and mix into the avocado. Leave the seed in the guacamole, it will prevent it from discoloring.

Frijoles Rancheros (The Beans)
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked
1 cup of the cooking water
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 Habanero pepper (a whole one if you feel brave)
1/2 red and 1/2 green bell peppers
Cumin, smoked paprika, salt
Oil

Heat the oil in a small pot. Chop the onions and peppers, and saute them until they start to get golden. Once they turn golden, add the garlic, cumin and paprika (be generous). Mix well and add the beans, water and Habanero. Mix and add salt. Cook on high flame while mixing every minute or so, until the liquids start to thicken (around 10-15 minutes). With a spoon, mash some of the beans while mixing, it will thicken the sauce. Keep on until it is thick enough not to run out of your burrito.

The Yam
2 medium or 3 small yams
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon dry cayenne pepper flakes

Wrap the yams in tin foil and bake in 220 degrees until they get completely soft (around 1.5 hours). This is the only way to keep them soft while maximize their sweetness. When ready, take out of the wrap, peel and mash with a fort. Mix all the seasoning into the yams.

The Salsa
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 red onion
handful of cilantro leaves
1 fresh jalapeno
salt, lime, olive oil

No special preparation here, chop everything as fine as you can, season with lime, olive oil and salt.

The Mushroom Stripes
200g oyster mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons of oil
your favorite grill seasoning (I use Indian tikka masala)

Heat the oil, fry the mushrooms on a high flame, season. No big secrets here.

The Assembly

Put even amounts of all five ingredients. Use a fork to take the salsa, thus keep the liquids in the bowl instead of in your burritos. Roll the upper and lower edges inside and then roll the main thing. I only sliced it for the picture, I like to eat my burrito in one piece. If you are not experienced, you can wrap one side in tin foil to keep it together.

Indulge the pain.

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