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Salsa de chile pasilla oaxaqueño
Smoky Oaxacan salsa of dried pasilla mixe chillies and fire-roasted tomato
The pasilla mixe is a small, wrinkled, red-brown chilli smoked in the Sierra Mixe mountains east of Oaxaca City, and it tastes of campfire, tobacco and dried fruit. Ground in a molcajete with roasted tomato and garlic, it becomes the salsa that sits on every table in Oaxacan fondas, spooned over memelas, eggs, beans and grilled vegetables. It keeps a week in the fridge and improves after a day. If you cannot find pasilla mixe, use chipotle mora plus one ancho. Chef's tip: grind the garlic and salt first, then the chillies, then the tomato; working in that order gives a rough, clinging texture rather than a watery purée.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat a dry comal or heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Toast 4 dried pasilla mixe chillies for 20–30 seconds a side, until puffed and fragrant. Common mistake: scorching them; smoked chillies burn fast and turn acrid. Pull them off at the first wisp of smoke.
2 minStep 2: Cover the chillies with hot water for 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, roast 4 ripe plum tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves and ¼ white onion on the pan, turning, until the tomato skins are charred in patches and the flesh is soft, about 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Peel the garlic. Remove the chilli stems (keep the seeds for heat). In a molcajete or mortar, grind the garlic with ¾ tsp coarse salt to a paste, then add the chillies and grind to a rough pulp.
4 minStep 4: Add the tomatoes and onion and crush them in, adding a splash of ¼ cup warm water until the salsa is spoonable. If using a blender, pulse briefly; it should stay a little chunky.
Step 5: Taste for salt and leave for 15 minutes before serving so the smoke and heat settle. Keep in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 25 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does salsa de chile pasilla oaxaqueño take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ripe plum tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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