Most people associate Mole sauce with either Puebla or Oaxaca, but the origin of mole poblano is still contested. It’s the dense, wealthy, chocolate-flavoured sauce produced so famous in the colonial mountain town of Puebla, Mexico.
Mole is a traditional sauce that was initially used in Mexican cuisine, as well as in those sauce-based dishes. Outside Mexico, mole poblano is often referred to specifically. The word is used for several sauces in modern Mexico, some of which are quite different, including black, red, or colorado, yellow, green, almendrado, de olla, guacamole, and pipián.
A Mole sauce usually includes fruit, chilli pepper, nut, and spices like black pepper, ginger, or cumin.
MEXICAN MOLE SAUCE
- Author: Romae Chanice B. Marquez
- Recipe Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Mexican
The classic moles of Central Mexico and Oaxaca, such as mole poblano and mole negro, include two or more of the following types of chilli pepper: ancho, pasilla, mulato, and chipotle. The whole preparation and cooking time is for 1 hour. This recipe is suitable for at least four people.
The mole sauce is a well-known sauce traditionally made in Mexico. Photo credits to: https://www.closetcooking.com/mole-sauce/.
Mexican Mole Sauce Ingredients
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 dinner roll, torn into pieces
- 2 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
- 2 tomatoes, chopped in half crosswise
- 5 tomatillos, cut in half crosswise
- 1 tablespoon of lard
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 a head of garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Mexican Mole Sauce Instructions
Step 1: In a dry pan over medium heat, toast guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and chipotle chiles, stirring continuously, about 3 minutes, until hot and aromatic. Transfer to the chicken broth blender.
Step 2: Heat in a saucepan 2 cups of chicken broth until it starts to cook, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into a mixer.
Step 3: Toast dinner roll pieces and tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, continually stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken broth and chillies to the mixer.
Step 4: Let the chillies and toasted bread and tortillas soak in the chicken broth for about 10 minutes, completely submerged. Mix the blend until it is smooth.
Step 5: Cook tomatoes and tomatillos on medium-high heat in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until tender and blackened. Place the tomatoes with the chilli puree in the blender.
Step 6: Melt lard over medium heat in a big skillet. Incorporate onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries; boil and stir until smooth and onions are golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add the chilli-tomato combination of the onion mixture to the blender and mix until smooth.
Step 7: Pour chilli puree over low heat into a big casserole. Add the broth, sugar, and salt of chocolate chicken. Stir until chocolate is melted and the sauce is thickened, and slightly decrease heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mexican Mole Sauce Additional Information
- Per serving has 507 calories; 23.3 g fat; 74.9 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 7 mg cholesterol; 1373 mg sodium.
- Two regions in Mexico claim to be the mole’s source: Puebla and Oaxaca. The best-known moles are indigenous to these two countries, but other areas in Mexico also produce different kinds of mole sauces.
- Moles come in different flavours and ingredients, with the prevalent factor being chilli peppers.
- This recipe serves at least 4 people.
- Cook/prep time is around 1 hour.
About Mole Sauce Recipe
Moles come in different flavours and ingredients, with the prevalent factor being chilli peppers. The classic version of the mole, however, is the variety called mole poblano, a dark red or brown sauce served over meat.
The dish has become a culinary symbol of Mexico’s mestizaje, or a mixture of indigenous and European heritage, both for its kinds of ingredients and its legends.
Conclusion
For more Mexican recipes, click here for more information.
Featured Image: https://mexicanfoodjournal.com/how-to-use-mole-paste/ / https://cocinaycomparte.com/recetas/pasta-de-mole-negro-oaxaqueno
