Chile Relleno Using Pasilla Pods

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Picadillos in Mexico generally are thick stews made with meat, vegetables and aromatic spices.  Meats are either ground, shredded or diced.  Vegetables can be  onion, carrot, calabaza or potato.  Some use fruits like plantain, peach, raisins, dry-fruits, nuts and tomato. They contain aromatic condiments like clove, cinnamon, thyme and cumin.

The ingredients in this picadillo are a counterbalance to the traditional picadillo and it was invented of necessity because lots of my friends and family are trending to vegetarian foods.  I want them and you to discover chile rellenos made from pasilla pods so I have I created an appropriate meatless filling.  I looked back to my “Cotija Tostada Appetizer” recipe and remembered what my friend, Judy commented about that recipe.  She said she made it using similar but different ingredients and identified her medley of vegetables as a picadillo.  Yes, it is and so I’m calling mine a picadillo too.  Absolutely no cooking required with this recipe and the result is a bright slightly sweet and sour combination of fresh vegetables and crunch that is really delicious.  Imaginative ideas in your cooking is what makes it fun so let’s get started.

 

 

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

4 – 5 large dry chile pasilla pods (sometime labeled chile ancho)

¼ cup rice vinegar

1½ cup green tomato or tomatillo cubed ⅓ inch

1 cup chopped white onion

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 oz dried apricots  diced (or raisins or candied citron)

¼ cup roughly chopped roasted almonds

8 oz queso fresco cubed ⅓ inch

Salt and pepper

 

Chile

Using a sharp knife, slice each pepper to make one opening for the filling.  Remove the seeds from pods and rinse twice with water discarding the rinse water.  Place pods in a large bowl add water and cover with water.  Soak the chile for about an hour or until the pods are completely soft turning them during the soak period.

Filling

In a large bowl, mix vinegar, tomato, onion, cilantro, almonds dried fruits and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside. Only when ready to serve, fold in the cheese then fill the peppers.  I recommend this because queso fresco is fragile and porous, so I prefer keep this cheese from sitting in vinegar.

 

 

Sauce

It’s optional. Sauce should be served as a bed of sauce.  I recommend a light tomato sauce but you can also use creme Mexicana or cream fraiche thinned in milk.

Tomato sauce recipe:

2 medium tomatoes

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt

Ground cumin

Ground oregano

Add fresh tomatoes into 6 cups of boiling water and boil them for 2 to 5 minutes until the skins have parted or come loose.  Remove the tomatoes and when cool enough to handle, remove the skins.  In a blender, liquify the tomatoes, then pour out into a bowl.  Carefully add small amounts of lemon, cumin and oregano to taste, enough to taste the mild flavor of spices and lemon  Salt to taste.

 

 

Plating

Place chile over a bed of sauce and serve with white rice or frijoles de la olla.

 

 

Note

Pasilla pods are low to mild in hotness. Having said that, sometimes you just might wind up with very hot pods.  Sample your pods by soaking one in cold water for 20 minutes, then scrape some chile from the inside of the pod and taste.  When purchasing pods, look for those bright in color and pliable to the touch.  Avoid those that are discolored and brittle.

 

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