Spicy Salsas

 

Salsa Molcajeteada

 

Mexican food wouldn’t be the same without the diversity of its spicy salsas. We have a wide variety of them, from the very mild one to the extremely fiery one. Whatever your level to stand heat is, we have a salsa for it. Today we are sharing with you one of the most love salsas in Mexico, a salsa molcajeteada or salsa en molcajete. A molcajete is the name we give to a pestle and mortar made from volcanic rock.

 

Makes 1 cup

Time 20 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 Mextrade dried Arbol chillies, stem off
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • ½ small onion
  • 1 small garlic clove skin on
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup hot water

 

Method

Heat a frying pan and place the vegetables once the pan is very hot, the garlic is place with skin on. No need to put any oil. It is advisable to use an old pan. Turn the vegetables from time to time, they need to blacken all around. Once their skin is black, remove them and set aside.

Then toast the arbol chillies slightly and remove. Place the chillies in the hot water, making sure that they are cover, so they get soft.

Once the chillies are soft, it is time to make the salsa and for this, you will need a molcajete or a pestle and mortar.

Start by mashing the garlic with the salt. Then chop the onions roughly and mash. After chop the chillies roughly as well and add them into the mortar and mash. And lastly, add the tomatoes and some of the water where the chillies were soaked.

Mix very well, the salsa has to be runny, but not liquidly.  It will be a bit chunky, but that it the way it should be.

It is the perfect salsa to have with your tacos, eggs or anything you will like to have it on. Store it in the fridge and eaten within 3 days.

salsa-molcajetiada.jpeg

Salsa Macha

There are many versions of salsa macha in Mexico. Salsa macha is call like that because the word macho means strong and this salsa is so spicy that therefor Mexicans call it salsa macha. It can be done with different types of chillies, but the main ingredient is always the sesame seeds and oil, which is the ingredient that gives salsa macha its particular flavour. We like to share with you our own recipe of this salsa that is so in fashion at the moment. It is the perfect pair for a lamb barbacoa, any taco and for breakfast or soups and broths.

 

 

Makes 1 cup

Time 30 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

 

  • 8 Mextrade Arbol dried chillies, stem off
  • 2 Mextrade pasilla chillies, seeds and stem off
  • 1 Mextrade ancho chilli, seeds and stem off
  • ¼ sesame seeds
  • ¼ pumpkin seeds
  • 3 tbsp peanuts
  • ½ small onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup vegetable oil

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan to medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and chillies. Fry for 5 minutes, moving constantly, then add all the nuts and salt, fry for 2 minutes and turn the heat off.

 

Let it cool down completely and blend in a blender or nutri bullet. Store in a sterilized jar and keep in the cupboard for up to 3 months.

salsa-macha.jpeg