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Pipian Rojo Over Rice recipe is perfect for the coming fall and winter months. The sauce is very hearty and made with roasted pumpkin seeds.
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Pipian Rojo Over Rice

The sauce is a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of sauce, made with roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted tomato, and dried pasilla, arbol, and ancho chiles.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 262kcal

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 2 Corn tortillas
  • 3 Guajillo chiles, dried, deseeded
  • 5 Pasilla chiles, dried, deseeded
  • 1 Chile de Arbol, dried, deseeded
  • 1 White onion, peeled, and quartered
  • 2 Garlic, whole, unpeeled
  • 2 Medium tomatoes
  • ¾ cup Pumpkin seeds, raw, hulled (pepitas)
  • 8 Allspice berries, whole
  • 6 Peppercorns
  • 1 tsp. Achiote, ground
  • ½ tsp. Sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. Pepper

Stew

  • 5 Purple potatoes, medium-sized, scrubbed
  • ½ lb. Green beans, ends removed
  • 1 Chayote, peeled
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 3 tbsp. Olive oil (optional)
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. Sea salt
  • 2 tbsp. Pumpkin seed oil (optional)
  • 2 cups Cooked rice (white or brown)
  • ¼ cup Pumpkin seeds, raw, hulled for garnish
  • ¼ cup Cilantro, leaves only

Instructions

To make sauce

  • On a griddle on medium high-heat, toast corn tortillas until crispy and slightly charred. Set aside. On the same griddle, toast dried chiles for 1 minute on each side, taking care not to burn. Put chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Use a small plate to keep chiles submerged for 30 minutes.
  • On same hot griddle, slightly char onions and garlic, about 4 minutes. Peel garlic and place it with onions in blender. Put whole tomatoes on griddle and turn often to char on several sides, then add to blender. When chiles have finished soaking, drain, and add to blender.
  • On same hot griddle, toast pumpkin seeds until they begin to puff up. Reserve 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds for garnish, and add the rest to the blender. On griddle, toast allspice and peppercorns for a few seconds and add to blender wth achiote, salt, and pepper. 
  • Break charred tortillas into quarters and add to blender. Purée until ingredients form a smooth sauce. If necessary, work in batches or add a small amount of water to blender to process smoothly. Sauce should have the consistency of a tomato sauce or just a little bit chunkier. 

To make stew:

  • Coarsley chop potatoes, green beans, and chayote into hearty, bite-sized chunks and set aside. In a large pot on medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add potatoes, green beans, and chayote and stir to combine. 
  • Season vegetables with salt. Add just enough water to cover vegetables and bring to a boil. Stir in pipian sauce. Lower heat to medium simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender. Adjust seasonings.
  • Divide rice between bowls and serve pipian over rice. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro leaves.

Notes

Recipe from the book Decolonize Your Diet by Luz Calvo and Catriona Rueda Esquibel. Recipe used with permission from author. 

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 255mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2419IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg