Salsa Macha is a traditional salsa made with dried chiles fried in oil. It originated in the state of Veracruz, but it is very popular throughout Mexico. Many people add roasted peanuts, roasted almonds or roasted sesame seeds. I like it with roasted sesame seeds.
This version is a healthier one, but still delicious. I use extra virgin olive oil and do not fry the chiles in it. If you want to fry the chiles in it, I suggest to use an oil that can withstand high temperatures. If you want to keep it healthier, but still enjoy good flavor, make sure you toast the chiles as the recipe indicates. This will ensure you get that robust flavor so characteristics of Salsa Macha without ingesting oil with toxins into your body. Also, if you’d like a nuttier flavor, add 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds or roasted peanuts.
This salsa works with different type of dried chiles. You could do this with a combination of pasilla and guajillo peppers, morita, or even dried chipotles. It is ver forgiving when it comes to adding different types of chiles and different nuts. You cannot go wrong if you choose one kind of chile or another, they are all delicious in their own way. Use my recipe to guide you, but you can swap chiles and nuts easily.
My version is very easy and is perfect for everything. I even add this to my salads.
Tips
- Toast the chiles de arbol with no oil instead of frying them. Heating oils with low smoking point at high temperatures produces toxins that are harmful to your body. This recipe uses extra virgin olive oil which has a low smoking point, but has robust flavor, is versatile and nutritious.
- Air, heat and light oxidizes oils making them rancid and bad for your body. When making this type of salsas it is important to store it in an air tight container to ensure a longer shelf life.
- Chiles de arbol burn really fast. It only takes a few SECONDS on a hot pan. Before you start toasting, open your windows because it’s going to tickle your throat and make you cough. Also, have a bowl and tongs ready to remove the chiles from the comal, once they’ve been toasted.
Ingredients
2/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cup of chiles de árbol
1 tsp Salt.
Procedure
- Cut off the stems of the chiles the arbol.
- Heat up a cast iron pan. While the pan is heating, get some tongs and a bowl to place the toasted chiles and place it close from your hot pan.
- Place the chiles and the garlic (skin on), on the hot pan, moving them around to toast. Remove the chiles. It only takes seconds for the chiles to toast. Leave the garlic a little longer.
- Once all the chiles have been toasted and the garlic roasted, remove the skin off the garlic and place the oil, garlic and chiles in the blender.
- Process until everything has been crushed uniformly. Add 1 tsp of salt.
- Store the chile oil in an air tight container at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
