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Rajas
Rajas, roasted poblano strips, start out closer to oil-free than most Mexican dishes: the smoke comes from direct char, not a pan of fat, and the crema and queso a restaurant adds afterward exist mainly to cool the chile down, a job lime juice and sweet corn do just as well without dairy. Steaming the chiles under cover right after charring is the step that actually matters: skip it and you spend the next twenty minutes picking bits of blackened skin out of soft strips instead of peeling them clean in one pass. Spoon these over brown rice, fold them into a warm corn tortilla, or stir them straight into a pot of black beans.
Ingredients
- 3 larges Poblano
- 1 medium Yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup Frozen corn, thawed
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seed
- 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped, divided
- 1/4 Avocado, sliced, for serving, optional
Method
- Char the poblanos directly over a gas flame or 4 inches under a hot broiler, turning with tongs, until the skins blister black on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Direct char is what makes rajas taste smoky, no liquid smoke or smoker required.
- Pile the charred chiles into a bowl and cover tightly with a plate. Let them steam in their own trapped heat for 10 minutes: the steam loosens the blackened skin so it slips off instead of tearing the flesh underneath.
- Rub the loosened skins off under running water, then pull out the stems and seeds. Slice the flesh into strips about 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide, the rajas that give the dish its name.
- Toast the cumin seed in a dry wide pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute, then crush it lightly with the side of a knife.
- Add 3 tablespoons water and the onion to the same pan. Cook, stirring, adding a splash more water whenever the pan looks dry, until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Water keeps the onion sweet instead of browned, so it doesn't compete with the poblano's smoke.
- Stir in the garlic and oregano and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Dissolve the bouillon in 2 tablespoons water, add it with the corn, and cook until the corn is heated through and starting to catch a little color at the edges, about 4 minutes.
- Fold in the poblano strips and warm through, about 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lime juice and half the cilantro. Taste, and reach for more lime before you reach for salt.
- Serve warm, scattered with the remaining cilantro and the avocado slices if using.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 95 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 10 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
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.
