When most of us think of mole, we think of mole poblano– that luscious brown, chocolate-laced yet savory sauce, often served with chicken. And that definitely is mole, but it is just one in a vast and complex world of mole. The word “mole” comes from “mulli” in nahuatl, the language of ancient Mexicans, which means “mixture.” That could be anything, right?!
Most regions, states, towns, and even individual households in Mexico have their own mole recipes, passed down from generation to generation. Moles can be very complex, sometimes hosting any combination of, at times, over 30 ingredients, including fresh and dried chiles, nuts, seeds, spices, chocolate, tomatoes, onions, tomatillos, burnt tortillas, and the list goes on. Some can be pulled together in a few minutes, others take days to prepare. Some moles aren’t even called mole (like pipián)! Many are deep brownish-red, others are yellow, green, even black!
So what’s the difference between mole and salsa? Think of salsa as a condiment or complement to a dish, whereas mole is the star of the show, practically standing on its own. You probably know that salsa of some kind is served with almost everything in Mexico and one or two salsas can be found on most Mexican tables at any given time. Often, you’ll see “mole con pollo” on restaurant menus, and it’s no mistake that it’s “mole with chicken” and not “chicken with mole.” One particularly emblematic mole eaten all over Mexico is mole de olla, which eats like a soupy beef and vegetable stew. Mole can be eaten with any protein, vegetable or as the main dish, with rice on the side, or simply with tortillas to scoop up all the saucy goodness.
There are a few techniques from the Mexican kitchen you should be familiar with if you are venturing into mole territory.
Using dried chiles. Fresh chiles can take on a very different nature when dried! From color to flavor and even spice level. When buying dried chiles, make sure they have not been sitting on the shelf too long. Look for ones that are still pliable and have a bit of a shiny appearance. They need to be rehydrated or toasted before using. Usually you will want to remove the seeds, as well as the stem, before incorporating them into your dish.
Toasting whole spices. This is a wonderful technique to add to your repertoire, no matter what you are making. Lightly toasting your spices in a skillet or comal over medium-low heat will release their natural oils, “waking up” their flavor. As spices are ground and left on the rack, they begin to lose their flavors and aromas very quickly. Who really knows how long spices have been sitting on market shelves or at the back of our kitchen cabinets anyway?
Blending and then cooking. It is very common in the Mexican kitchen to blend your ingredients and then cook them. At first, this seemed a bit backward to me but it saves effort in all that chopping and grinding, and cooking a salsa or mole after bringing the ingredients together allows the flavors to marry and mellow.
Now, while I love long afternoons experimenting in the kitchen, I’m of the opinion that certain things are better left to the experts, including most bread and pastry-making, meat-curing, and preparation of complex moles. However, there are some simple mole recipes that come together quickly, with a minimum of ingredients and effort. Take for example, pipián, a traditional, yet simple and delicious pumpkin seed-based sauce. Roll up your sleves for more mole and check out my two pipián recipes below!
Pipián Rojo (Red Pumpkin Seed Sauce)
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 pasilla chiles
- 2 ancho chiles
- 1.5 lbs ripe tomatoes (about 6 garden tomatoes)
- 1/2 large onion chopped in 2 inch chunks
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano preferably Mexican
- 1/4 cup white sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, dried & roasted
- 1 pinch cumin seeds whole
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar (optional) preferably brown or raw cane sugar
- 1 tbs olive oil or other vegetable oil
Instructions
- Start by soaking your pasilla and ancho chiles in hot water. Cover and let them steep for 15 minutes.
- Char the tomatoes (leave them whole) and onion in the oven under the broiler until they are singed black. I set my broiler to 500℉ and set the rack so that my veggie would be about 2 inches away from the element. Check them at about 5 minutes and give them a turn. Continue to check the vegetables and rotate every few minutes. They don't need to be totally blackened all the way around but you do want your vegetables to have some char which will add a lot of flavor to your pipián! Feel free to do this on a charcoal or gas grill!
- Toast your sesame seeds in a skillet over medium-low heat until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Keep your eye on them, stir occasionally and don't let them burn. Once they release their nutty flavor, remove from heat and reserve.
- Using the same skillet, toast pumpkin seeds, garlic, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and oregano over medium- low heat until the pumpkin seeds begin to brown and the spices begin to release their flavors. Remove from the heat and reserve.
- By now your chiles should be rehydrated and cool enough to handle. Remove the stems and using the water, remove as many of the seeds as possible. Don't worry if you don't get them all. Reserve the soaking liquid.
- Add the rehydrated chiles, tomatoes, onions, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, spices and garlic to the blender. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid, straining out the seeds. Blend this mixture until smooth, adding more soaking liquid (or water), if needed.
- Give your sauce a taste! Adjust the seasoning to your liking. If you find it on the bitter side, add a few pinches of sugar until it tastes more balanced.
- Heat a skillet or sauce pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil. Once the pan is hot, carefully pour in your sauce. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve with roast vegetables, chicken, pork or simply enjoy with freshly made tortillas!
Pipián Verde
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lb tomatillos husks removed, rinsed and halved
- 1-2 chile serrano seeds removed
- 1 chile poblano roasted
- 1 bunch radish leaves rinsed (may sub with romaine or butter lettuce leaves)
- 1 bunch cilantro rinsed
- 1 sprig fresh epazote
- 2 tsps olive oil
- Radish slices for garnish
Instructions
- Toast sesame seeds in a skillet over medium low heat until golden brown. Remove from heat, set aside
- Toast pumpkin seeds over medium low heat until they achieve a lightly roasted aroma and start turning brown. Remove from heat, set aside.
- Set your oven rack close to the top, about 2 inches from the broiler element. Roast 1 chile poblano under the broiler until it is charred evenly all around, turning every few minutes. Don’t worry if it isn’t uniform or totally blackened. Just get a nice char. Remove from the oven and set aside in a bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap to steam for about 15 minutes. Once it has cooled , remove the charred outer skin (it should just slide right off with your fingers). Don’t worry about getting all the char off, it will add nice flavor to your pipián. Remove the stem and seeds. Coursely chop the meat and set aside.
- Roughly chop ¼ onion and 2 garlic cloves.
- Sautee onions over medium heat with 2 tsps of olive oil (can also substitute any vegetable oil) and a pinch of salt.
- While your onions are sauteeing, cut your tomatillos in half (or quarters if yours are bigger than ping pong balls).
- Once the onions have softened (about 5 minutes) add the garlic and sautee for about 30 seconds.
- Add tomatillos to the pan and increase heat to medium high. Add in your sprig of epazote and cook this mixture until the tomatillos release their juices and just start losing their bright green color, about 5 minutes.
- Blend the ingredients in stages so we don’t lose all the bright green freshness of our tender leaves in a super pureed sauce. First, add the toasted sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, onions, garlic, chile poblano, chile serrano, along with a pinch of salt to the blender. Blend until very smooth, adding a little water, if needed. The goal here is to get the seeds ground down very finely. Ultimately, you will be left with some great texture. Uniformity is not the goal!
- Once that is fairly smooth, add your fresh radish and cilantro leaves. This would also be a great time to add another serrano chile, if you want more heat. Pulse those in with the rest of the ingredients until you have a sauce that feels hefty but is still pourable. It should be fairly smooth with visible flecks of green. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste.
- At this stage, you could put the sauce in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. It will hold up like this for 1-2 days, so you could make it in advance.
- When you are ready to serve, heat a skillet on medium heat. Carefully add your pipián and heat through, letting it bubble lightly for 3-5 minutes. This last cooking step really helps the flavors of the ingredients to marry, but you don’t want to let it go too long or you risk losing that lovely color! We’re looking for a nice, creamy pistachio green!
[…] If you want to know more about mole or try a red pipián, check out my blog post “What is mole anyway?” […]