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A glass jar of Salsa Macha sitting on a pink cloth on a wood table with a white ceramic spoon sticking out of it.
Kate Ramos

Spicy Salsa Macha Recipe

Spicy Salsa Macha with chiles de arbol, black sesame seeds, peanuts, and garlic. Completely adaptable, this oil-based Mexican salsa is rich, flavorful, tangy, spicy, perfect for drizzling over everything from avocado toast to eggs to popcorn!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Course: salsa
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 186

Method
 

  1. Prep chiles. Remove the stem and seeds of the chiles. Wear gloves if your hands are sensitive to the heat. Cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces and place in a fine mesh sieve. Give a good rinse to get rid of any dust or dirt.
  2. Cook garlic. Heat oil and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat then lower to medium-low and cook until garlic is golden, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Soften chiles. Add chiles, pomegranate, jamaica, and sesame seeds. Let cool at least 30 minutes.
  4. Finely chop. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add 1/2 cup of the peanuts, vinegar, salt, and mint. Pluse for 9-10 one second pulses until finely chopped but not pureed.
  5. Add peanuts. Roughly chop remaining 1/4 cup of peanuts a few times. You want most of them to remain in large pieces. Transfer salsa to a bowl and stir in remaining peanuts.
  6. Taste. Taste salsa with a piece of bread and add more salt or vinegar if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 186kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gSodium: 149mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

Video

Notes

  1. Make ahead and storage instructions: Salsa will keep for up to 3 months in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.
  2. Spice level: Adjust the spice level by using less arbol chiles and more pasilla chiles. The arbol chiles are spicy and the pasilla chiles are mild.
  3. Texture: I like to leave the salsa on the chunkier side and pulse only enough to break up the chiles and nuts into small bits. Blend longer for a smoother salsa.
  4. Pomegranate: If pomegranate is not in season, swap dried cranberries.

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