It’s time to celebrate! Today, September 16th is Mexican Independence Day. As you might be aware, we Mexicans always celebrate with food (how else do you celebrate?). Food is a key part of our culture, so we just had to make a recipe for a classic Mexican Independence day dish.

Celebrations for the day differ; some people make pozole (soup usually made with pulled meat, corn kernels, and seasoned with chili puree), enchiladas, tostadas, or tortilla soup. But no-one can deny that the king of kings on this day is the one-and-only, delicious chile en nogada.

Scroll down for the video and recipe ↓

   

A Brief History of Chile en Nogada

Legend has it that a group of nuns created the dish in the Mexican city of Puebla in 1821 for the politician and army general Agustin de Iturbide to celebrate his saint’s day and the signing of the independence treaty. The nuns picked the green of the parsley and chili, the white of the nogada sauce, and the red of the pomegranate seeds to represent the Mexican flag. However, recipes for this dish have been found for this dish before the country’s independence, so take this story with a grain of salt!

Chile en nogada does originate from Puebla though, and according to Mexican chef and researcher Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, the chili was traditionally covered with an egg-based batter. Nowadays, some people do it that way and some don’t.* Despite the slight differences in preparation, this dish is the crowned favorite of many Mexicans to eat on Independence Day.

Chile en nogada is eaten in Mexico from July to the beginning of October when the fruit and nuts are in season and at their peak.

* Encyclopedia of the Mexican Gastronomy by Ricardo Muñoz Zurita

How it’s made

The filling is traditionally made with ground meat, dried fruit, almonds, pine nuts, peaches, and apples. The nogada sauce is made from fresh seasonal walnuts (that are peeled by hand), cream, sherry, sugar and sometimes goat cheese. You can imagine the work that goes into peeling at least a kilo of walnuts! Despite the hard work and elaboration of the dish, it’s completely worth it because it is so. good.

Today, we’re making a vegan version! Our filling is made with black beluga lentils, peaches, apple, raisins, almonds, plantains, and more. It’s seasoned with tomato sauce and an irresistible nogada sauce made with peeled walnuts, agave syrup, and a splash of sherry.

This dish is perfect for dinner parties, special occasions, or if you just want to treat yourself! It’s a stunning, colorful addition to the table. Expect lots of “wow’“s when your guests cut into the chili!

Check out the recipe video here:

 

 

Chiles en Nogada

Makes 3 chiles

NOGADA SAUCE 

Yield: 345g

2 1/2 cups | 280g walnuts, soaked and peeled

3 tbsp | 36g agave syrup

1 tsp | 5g sea salt

1 1/2 tbsp | 15ml sherry

1 cup | 200ml water

1. Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 2 minutes, or until sauce is smooth and creamy. The sauce should be thick, not runny.

2. Adjust seasoning and reserve in the fridge.

 

FILLING

5 tbsp | 50ml extra virgin olive oil

1 cup | 114g onion, diced small

4 cloves | 30g garlic, minced

1/2 tsp | 1g ground cinnamon 

1/4 tsp | 0.5g ground cloves

1 bay leaf

1/2cup | 80g raisins

1 cup | 200g black lentils

1/2cup | 20g fresh parsley, leaves picked

1 cup | 113g apple, small dice

1 cup | 220g peaches, small dice

1/2 cup | 70g almonds, toasted

1/2 cup | 55g ripe plantain, small dice

3 cups | 346g chopped tomatoes

1 cup | 200ml water

sea salt, to taste

1 cup/ 110g pomegranate seeds

25 parsley leaves, for topping

FILLING

1. In a blender, blend tomatoes with the water for 1 minute on high speed until completely pureed.

2. Heat a medium pot on medium flame and add olive oil, onion, plantain, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the spices, bay leaf, and raisins and cook for 1 minute. Add lentils and tomato puree, cover with a lid, lower the flame, and cook for 25 more minutes.

4. At this point check the lentils, they should be almost done. Add peach, apple, almonds, and parsley.

5. Season to taste and let cook until the liquid has evaporated and lentils are completely cooked.

6. Remove from heat and set aside.

   

FRYING

2 1/2 cups | 500ml avocado oil or grapeseed oil

5 Poblano chilis, whole

Ice bath (bowl of ice water)

1. Have an ice bath ready with a lot of ice and water (the colder the better).

2. In a pot big enough to fit at least 1 chili, heat oil up to 375ºF. Make sure your chilis are completely dry (any water on them will cause the hot oil to splatter) and carefully add only as many chilis that fit in the pan into the oil. Fry for 2 minutes, 1 minute on each side. Be sure to keep the chili completely submerged in the oil, using a spider or slotted spoon to do so.

3. Carefully transfer chili to the ice bath and keep it submerged in it—this will stop the cooking process. We want to maintain as much of the vibrant green color as possible, and this will also make it easier to peel the skin. Repeat this process with the rest of the chilis.

4. Once all chilis are in the ice bath, peel the skin off of each using your hands or a pairing knife.

5. Make a slit in each chili about 3/4 of the way down on just one side, being careful not to cut the other side. Open the chili with your hands and cut stem with the bundle of seeds out from inside. Rinse each chili to get rid of the rest of the seeds and carefully dry each one with a paper towel from the inside out.

   

PLATING

1. Fill each chili with the filling until you’re able to close it comfortably and place the them on the serving plates with the cut slit facing down.

2. Cover with nogada sauce and top with parsley and pomegranate seeds.

  

Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @eatogether.co and show us your creations!

 

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