This salsa, also known as salsa macha in some states of Mexico, is a versatile sauce that will enhance the flavor of almost anything you put it on.
Chile de Arbol is a spicy chili, one of the spiciest Mexican chilis out there. But when you add ingredients like peanuts, sesame seeds, and garlic, it just makes it so flavorful and honestly, it’s going to become your go-to sauce for everything from tacos to tostadas, to consommés, and more.
Some people only use peanuts in their salsa macha and don’t use sesame seeds at all, so don’ be afraid to experiment and find what you like best. For those with peanut allergies, try using only sesame seeds.
I chose to leave my sauce slightly chunky, but you can blend the sauce for longer to get a super smooth and creamy consistency from all the fat in the peanuts and sesame seeds.
If you don’t eat too much chili you can go easy with this sauce, but do add small amounts into your food to add a little kick. Even using just the oil is *chef’s kiss*.
If you have a peanut allergy, replace the peanuts with the same amount of raw sesame seeds or raw sunflower seeds.
Avocado oil or grapeseed oil works well instead of olive oil for a more neutral flavor.
Instead of chile de Arbol, you can use Morita chili. It’s smokier than Chile de Arbol so it’ll give a fantastic taste to the sauce!
For this chile de Arbol sauce, all you’ll need is a medium pan, a slotted spoon or spider, and a high-speed blender.
Use this spicy sauce to top off your:
Sautéed vegetables
Fried rice
Tacos/tostadas/sopes
Vinaigrettes/dressings
20g garlic cloves
80g raw peanuts
50g dried Chile de Arbol
20g raw sesame seeds
200ml olive oil
5g sea salt
Heat a medium pan on medium flame and add 100ml of olive oil. Add garlic and cook until golden brown, then use a slotted spoon or spider to take it out and set aside. In the same pan, add the peanuts and cook until golden brown and they start to become fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside. Now add chilies and fry quickly for about 30 seconds. As soon as they start becoming darker and more intense in flavor, remove from pan and set aside. Finally, turn the flame off and add sesame seeds. When they start to become golden brown add the remaining oil to lower the temperature in the pan and prevent the seeds from burning.
Transfer the sesame seeds and remaining oil from the pan to a high-speed blender. Add all other ingredients, but only half of the peanuts. Roughly chop the peanuts you don’t put into the blender and set aside. Pulse the blender in 5-second intervals so that the sauce comes together but remains relatively chunky. Total blending time shouldn’ be more than a minute. If you prefer a smooth sauce, blend for about 2 minutes on high speed instead.
Transfer the sauce to a jar or container to store it in and stir in the chopped peanuts. Store in the fridge for up to 4 months.
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