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Recipe

Salsa Macha

May 7, 2016 · By Monica Shaw

Salsa Macha - Mexican condiment of awesome!

Salsa macha has become a coveted kitchen staple of mine. This magical combination of dried chilies, garlic, nuts and olive oil is highly addictive, and the perfect vehicle for discovering the world of dried chillies out there.

When I first came across the recipe, I almost didn’t make it because it calls for 500ml (two cups) of olive oil. But when all was said and done, I ended up with a “salsa” that has completely blown my mind and changed my world. I’m not exaggerating!

It began with a recent good fortune: a while back I won a “goody bag” of dried chillies from the Cool Chile Company. I rarely enter competitions, and win them even less, so I was pretty psyched to receive a weighty parcel of dried pasilla, ancho, guajillo and chipotle chillies, and a bonus sack of masa harina.

Chiles from Cool Chile Co

Ever since, my mind’s been reeling over what to do with them. One of my objectives is to use this opportunity to get to know the unique flavours of these chillies. I’m very familiar with chipotles and their wonderful smokiness, but the others are a bit of a mystery to me.

I first made the ancho lentil tacos, where I discovered that anchos (dried poblano peppers) are milder than chipotles, though still a touch smokey, and sweeter. I’ve also made tortilla soup, which includes pastilla chilli, which seems similar to ancho to me, except is possibly milder.

Moving on from these recipes I wanted to take advantage of something that was really all about the chillies, so started hunting for salsa and sauce recipes. Rick Bayless’ salsa macha caught my attention because it was suited for any one or a mix of dried chillies, and also included some interesting ingredients like almonds and sesame. I only noticed the oil quantity after I’d mentally decided to make it. But I’m so glad I pushed on.

Salsa Macha

This isn’t a “salsa” like the kind you find in jars at the grocery star. It doesn’t contain tomatoes or lime or cilantro. This is more like chile pesto, a puree of dried chillies with nuts, seeds, garlic and a little salt, vinegar and Mexican oregano. And the flavour is out of this world.

I used six guajilla chillies and four chipotle chillies, plus some of my homemade apple cider vinegar. The resulting “salsa” has an awesomely sweet and smokey aroma with a flavour to match. There’s only a little bit of vinegar in the recipe, but it’s just enough to make the puree seem almost “fresh”, despite all the oil. The nuts and seeds, which have been fried in the oil, add further depth of flavour and balance out the chillies.

Guajillo and Chipotle Salsa Macha

So it’s good, but game-changing? Well yes, for someone who was until recently a vegetarian and unaccustomed to eating foods that are so deep, rich and satisfying. Although I didn’t eat meat at the time, I can now understand why some meat-eaters would find it difficult to go vegetarian because it’s very difficult to duplicate meat’s, well, meatiness in vegetarian food (meat-eaters, maybe you can explain this phenomenon?).

Guajillo and Chipotle Salsa Macha

Still, eating this salsa made me feel very much like one feels after eating a good steak. I used the salsa macha in something very simple: a bowl of sautéed onions, potatoes and greens (a bit of egg would have been good here, too). I included some of the salsa in the saute pan, and then added a little more at the end. The flavours were so intense and wonderful that I finished the meal with a weird satisfaction that I’m not really used to.  It had nothing to do with spiciness – in fact, the guajillo and chipotle combo resulted in a pretty mild heat – but pure flavour.

Potatoes and greens con salsa macha. Inspired by @coolchileco @rick_bayless. (A little macha goes a long way.)

I think the phrase “awesome sauce” is appropriate here. I see myself using this all over the place – potato, eggs and tofu come to mind. I can also see adding it to other salsa and sauce recipes to add deeper flavour. Rick has a recipe for Slow-Cooked Fennel where salsa macha is used almost as a baste. He also does lamb chops with salsa macha for any meat eaters who are keen to give this a try. And you should, because it really is a life changer. And I can’t stop opening the jar just to have a whiff.

Salsa Macha

Salsa Macha

Ingredients

  • 60g dried chillies (I used about 6 guajillos and 4 chipotles)
  • 40g (1/3 cup) almonds (or other nut)
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • 500ml (2 cups) olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • A generous 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

Method

  1. Stem the chiles, then break or cut them open and remove most of the seeds; break the chillies up roughly into thumb-sized pieces.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine the almonds, sesame seeds, garlic and oil. Set over medium-high heat and cook until garlic and sesame seeds are golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chiles. Let cool 5 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the salt until the salt dissolves, then add it to the pan along with the oregano. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, pour it into a blender and pulse until everything is chopped into small pieces (I use a Froothie Optimum 9400 power blender for this). You don’t want a super smooth puree – leave some texture in there.
  4. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.

About Monica Shaw

Veg lover, dog owner, hill walker, wild camper, avocado addict, nerd. I write about how to be awesome through a "smarter fitter" approach to eating, drinking, living and working.
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Recipe Rating




  1. Dottie Shaw says

    March 10, 2013 at 5:56 am

    I must say, this sounds extraordinary. And for you to rave with such enthusiasm has me more intrigued Your photographs are absolutely beautiful, too. The colors, textures, shine… my eyes just lingered on the photos. I can only imagine what it has to be like to return to take a whiff for the simple joy of whiffing. How nice. I’m glad you forged ahead…..

    Reply
    • Monica says

      March 10, 2013 at 5:57 am

      You should try it with some of those pasilla peppers I left behind!

      Reply
  2. Jes says

    March 11, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    I’ve got to admit, just looking at the recipe, it wouldn’t stand out to me, but I’m never one to pass up on an awesome sauce!

    Reply
    • Monica says

      March 12, 2013 at 7:01 am

      I’m telling you, Jes, this is right up your alley!

      Reply
  3. Marie Tait says

    April 27, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    Hi I finally got round to making this and I thought I would tell you that it is every bit as good as you say. The one change I made was to blitz it up a bit more, I wasn’t too keen on the bits. I have a vitamin so it did a good job. I didn’t have any ordinary olive oil so ended up using extra virgin which was a bit of a waste but going to the shops in the car would have been wasteful as well. I served some today with griddled halloumi. Gorgeous.

    Reply
  4. Kathy Ellingson says

    April 29, 2013 at 1:19 am

    Did you use “morita” chipotle chiles? At Nature’s Best they only have guajillo, mulato, puya, ancho and guajillos. You’ve totally convinced me to make this.

    Reply
    • Monica says

      April 29, 2013 at 11:33 am

      Hi Kathy, yes! Morita chipotle chillies are the ones I used. But you could really use any combination of chillies you want. I’m going to try a pasilla, ancho, guajillo one next, I think. If you want a spicier salsa macha, add a few puya chillies to the mix (I did this with my latest batch). Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  5. Karen says

    February 26, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    FABULOUS recipe and photos Monica and I have bookmarked this to make myself! It JUST so happens I have some dried guajillo and chipotle chillies that a chum sent me from the States! Awesome! Karen

    Reply
    • Monica says

      March 2, 2015 at 10:32 am

      Let me know how it goes, Karen!

      Reply
  6. Chris @thinlyspread says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:43 am

    Oh my goodness, I have to make this, it sounds amazing! Your pictures have made me drool all over my keyboard and your writing drew me in – I can almost taste your salsa, but not almost enough – I shall be ordering chillies!

    Reply
  7. Heather says

    April 11, 2018 at 3:23 pm

    I have been obsessed with Casa Adelita Gourmet’s Salsa Machita, but can’t get it in the states. I am hoping this will be similar! Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Monica Shaw says

      April 12, 2018 at 7:21 am

      I had to go Google that – sounds amazing! Let me know if my recipe stacks up. You might want to have a peak at the jar in case it says what type of chilli they use and you can adapt the recipe to use those. Good luck and let me know how it turns out! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Vegetarian Tamales | smarterfitter says:
    April 1, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    […] couple weeks ago I wrote about making salsa macha with guajillo and chipotle chillies, a happy result of my having won a goodie bag from Cool Chile […]

    Reply
  2. Moutabal / Baba Ganoush / Eggplant Dip with Tahini says:
    April 10, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    […] Once the aubergine cools, it’s a simple matter of peeling it and mashing up the insides with tahini, Greek yoghurt, lemon, garlic and salt. The moutabal, along with Turkish flatbread and hummus, was the perfect way to start our evening of feasting, drinking and rafter swinging. And let’s face it, there’s nothing like bread and hearty dips garnished with lots of olive oil to help lube the system in preparation for a very merry evening. Consequentially, the moutabal is excellent hangover food, particularly along side Sharon’s fried flatbread sandwiches, stuffed with feta, zaatar and salsa macha. […]

    Reply
  3. Mushrooms on Toast with "Limon Tuzu" | smarterfitter says:
    April 12, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    […] few weeks ago I sent Tim a sample of the life-changing salsa macha, along with some dried chillies so he can make his own. In return, he sent me some of his homemade […]

    Reply
  4. Ancho Rhubarb Ketchup | smarterfitter says:
    June 16, 2013 at 2:59 pm

    […] noticed the inclusion of two small dried red chillies, and my mind immediately turned to my massive chilli stash courtesy of Cool Chile Co. Brain wave. I decided to get […]

    Reply
  5. Recipe: Rice Noodle Salad with Salsa Macha - Fuss Free Flavours says:
    August 16, 2013 at 3:21 pm

    […] flavoured, hot, smoky and livened up by the addition of a dash of vinegar.   I based mine on Monica’s recipe, using excellent dried casabel and chipotle morita chillis from Mex Grocer.  The Casabel chillis […]

    Reply
  6. Clean Detox Day 4: A couple resolutions that don't involve vegetable noodles | smarterfitter says:
    September 1, 2013 at 7:46 am

    […] with hummus and salsa macha. An apple or two while wandering around the […]

    Reply
  7. Clean Detox Day 6: Savoury smoothies and BBQ for the detox win | smarterfitter says:
    September 3, 2013 at 7:10 am

    […] Cauliflower Salad with Tomato, Dill and Capers, barbecued courgettes and little gem lettuces with salsa macha, brown rice, a […]

    Reply
  8. 10 ways to perk up your canned soup says:
    December 10, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    […] Grated Parmesan or Grana Padano will give a lovely burst of umani (idea from Andrea), a spoonful of Salsa Macha (an easy to make addictive blend of chilli, garlic, nuts of olive oil) will add heat and […]

    Reply
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