Mole is one of those mythical meals that you tried at a Mexican restaurant and fell in love with it, but you found that the store bought sauce just wasn’t the same. As a home cook I’ve been scouring books and recipes for years trying to mimic that rich sauce. Most recipes require hours of kitchen time or a laundry list of ingredients, and I don’t have time for either of that. Until now…
If you’ve never had Mole you’re really missing out, and you’re probably wondering what the heck I’m talking about. It’s a savory sauce made by pairing the bitterness of chocolate with the acidic smokiness of roasted or dried peppers and a little tomato to round out the flavors. It’s not a sweet sauce, and it can be made with some heat. No matter what it’s rich with complex flavor. It’s delicious as an alternative to enchilada sauce, slathered over taco fixins, or just plain eaten with a spoon. The only kitchen tool you need for this recipe is a blender and about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 6 cloves garlic rough chopped
- 1 jalepeno
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 dried ancho chilies
- 4 dried pasilla chilies
- 2 Tbl flour
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 Tbl cocoa powder
- 2 oz dark chocolate (I used Enjoy Life)
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 Tbl almond butter
- 2 Tbl tomato paste
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Cut the ends off of the dried chilies and shake out the seeds inside. Cut or chop them in half and cover with hot water. Let them soak to reconstitute for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the rest of the ingredients.
Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic and onion for 5-7 minutes. Add a Tbl of water if they start to brown or burn before 5 minutes. Add tomato paste to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes to caramelize the natural sugars in the paste.
Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth, about 3 minutes. Heat in the same pan as before, covered, to a simmer and cook on low for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. It’s ready to store in the fridge or be enjoyed immediately.
If you make this recipe make sure to post it on Instagram and tag me so that I can give you a shout out!
