Chileajo de Verduras, Oaxacan Chile-Garlic Vegetables
Chileajo is an Oaxacan and Pueblan preparation, its name promising exactly what it delivers: chile and ajo, garlic, in force. A smooth sauce of soaked dried chiles blended with raw garlic, vinegar, and warm spices is used to bathe cooked vegetables, which then sit and soak up the marinade until they taste of it all the way through. That resting is the whole idea, so chileajo is served at room temperature and is better the day after it is made, which makes it a natural for a potluck or a spread of botanas. Vinegar carries it in place of salt, both sharpening the flavor and helping it keep. Guajillo and ancho give a mild, fruity, cocoa-dark base; a couple of arbol turn up the heat as far as you want to take it.
Ingredients
- 3 wholes Guajillo, stemmed and seeded
- 1 whole Ancho, stemmed and seeded
- 2 wholes Chile de árbol, optional, for heat
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 3 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Cumin seed, toasted and ground
- 1 tsp Dried oregano, Mexican
- 2 wholes Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns
- 2 wholes Potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 wholes Carrots, cut into coins
- 3 cups Cauliflower, small florets
- 8 oz Green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
Method
- Toast the guajillo, ancho, and arbol in a dry pan, pressing them flat a few seconds a side until they smell toasty and turn supple. Watch them closely, since dried chiles go from toasted to bitter in seconds. Cover with just-boiled water and soak 15 minutes.
- Steam the vegetables in stages so each keeps its bite: potatoes and carrots first, about 8 minutes, then the cauliflower and green beans added on top for a final 5 minutes, until everything is just tender. Undercook slightly, because they will keep softening in the warm sauce.
- Drain the soaked chiles and blend them with the raw garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cloves, black pepper, and a half cup of the soaking water until completely smooth. Garlic is half the name of this dish (ajo), so do not be shy with it; raw and blended, it is sharp and assertive, which is the point.
- Warm the chile-garlic sauce in a wide pan for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and thickens and the raw garlic mellows into something round and deep. Vinegar is doing the work salt usually would, both preserving the dish and giving it its bright, sour edge.
- Fold the warm steamed vegetables into the sauce until every piece is coated. Take it off the heat and let it sit at least 20 minutes, or better, cover and refrigerate a few hours.
- Serve at room temperature, not hot. Chileajo is meant to rest so the vegetables soak up the marinade, which is why it is better made ahead and why it holds for days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 150 calories, 5 g protein, 7 g fiber, 40 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
