Mole explained: poblano, verde, almendrado and pipián

Mole is the food of the big days in Mexico. At a wedding, a christening, or a birthday where the whole family gathers, there is often a pot of dark sauce that has been simmering for hours, with chicken or turkey in it, and rice and warm tortillas on the side. The word comes from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, in which molli simply means sauce. But anyone who has ever tasted a good mole poblano knows that there is little simple about it. In our shop in Amsterdam, the jars of mole sit among the dried peppers, and in this guide we explain what to do with them; if you want to see the bigger picture first, start with Mexican cuisine 101.

What is mole?

Mole is a thick Mexican sauce made from dried peppers, seeds or nuts and spices, which are roasted together, ground and slowly simmered. Often tomato, onion, garlic, raisins and a piece of stale bread or tortilla are also added to thicken the sauce, and a little chocolate to the dark moles. There are countless recipes, because every region and practically every family makes mole in their own way. What they share is the long preparation and a flavor that is at once spicy, sweet, bitter and savory, without any of those flavors overpowering the others.

Is mole a chocolate sauce?

No. Chocolate plays a supporting role in mole poblano: a few pieces make the sauce rounder and darker and take the sharp edges off the peppers, but it does not become sweet from it. You will encounter this mix of sweet, bitter and spicy everywhere in Mexico, including the chili and tamarindo candy in our guide to Mexican snacks.

Where does mole come from?

Mole poblano comes from Puebla, the city and state southeast of Mexico City, and is the most famous mole in the country. Oaxaca is called the land of the seven moles, including mole negro, coloradito and amarillo. We do not have those Oaxacan moles as paste in the shop.

What types of mole are there?

In the shop you will find four types from Doña María, a trusted brand in Mexican kitchens: mole poblano, mole verde, mole almendrado and pipián. They are concentrated pastes in a glass jar that you thin out yourself with broth. Exactly these jars are simply found in the supermarket in Mexico, and many families there have them in their kitchen cupboard.

Mole poblano red · PueblaDark and full-bodied, with ancho, pumpkin seeds and cacaoMole verde greenFresh and spicy, with tomatillo and cilantroAlmendrado with almondsMilder and a little sweeter than poblanoPipián pumpkin seed sauceNutty and creamy, part of the mole family

Mole poblano

Doña María Mole is the classic red mole poblano, with ancho, pumpkin seeds and cacao in the paste. It is mildly spicy, sweetish and a little bitter, and goes with chicken, rice and enmoladas. The variant with extra chocolate (con chocolate) and the spicier mole picante are currently sold out.

Mole verde

Doña María Mole Verde is green and fresh, made with tomatillo, cilantro and pumpkin seeds. It tastes lighter and spicier than poblano and goes with chicken, fish and vegetables.

Mole almendrado

Doña María Mole Almendrado revolves around almonds, making it milder, smoother and a little sweeter than poblano. A nice introduction for those who are still getting used to the taste of dried peppers.

Pipián

Doña María Pipián is a sauce made from ground pumpkin seeds, part of the mole family but with its own name. It is nutty and creamy, and in Mexico it comes in a green and a red version. Never boil pipián too hard, as the sauce can curdle; keep it just below boiling, as in our recipe for pollo en pipián verde.

View all Mexican cooking ingredients, from mole to tomatillo →

How do you use mole paste?

Mole paste is dissolved in hot broth, over low heat and little by little, until you have a smooth sauce that coats the back of a spoon. If there is a layer of oil on top of the firm paste, simply stir it through. Scoop the paste into a wide pan, pour in a splash of hot broth and stir until all the lumps are gone, then add the rest in portions. How much broth you need is on the label; mole that is too thick burns quickly and mole that is too thin tastes bland.

Then let the sauce gently simmer for about ten minutes while stirring occasionally, so that it thickens slightly and the flavors come together, and only taste for salt at the end. Anyone who makes the broth themselves by poaching chicken thigh fillet with half an onion and some garlic will have the meat ready to go: shred the chicken and let it warm up in the sauce for the last few minutes.

How do you make mole yourself?

You make mole yourself by roasting and soaking dried peppers, puréeing them with roasted seeds, nuts, spices and tomato, and then slowly cooking that purée in fat and broth. It is not difficult, but do allow for an afternoon, and the whole house will smell of it for the rest of the day.

Which peppers go into mole poblano?

Xatze Chile Ancho, pasilla and mulato together form the base of mole poblano. Ancho is dried poblano and gives a sweet, fruity depth. Pasilla, also called chile negro, brings a dark, almost raisin-like bitterness, and mulato is related to ancho but darker, with notes reminiscent of chocolate and coffee. Adding a single chipotle meco gives it a smokier undertone; that is a choice, not a rule. Read more about each pepper in Dried Mexican Peppers.

Ancho Xatze · 75 gDried poblano, sweet and fruityPasilla Xatze · 75 gDark, with a raisin-like bitternessPasilla Tajín · 75 gThe same pepper from a different brandMulato Xatze · 40 gDeep dark, with notes of chocolate and coffeeChipotle meco Xatze · 40 gFor those who want a smokier undertone

How to approach it

Roasted sesame seeds and almonds are together with the peppers the heart of your sauce. First cut off the stems of the peppers, shake out the seeds and remove the light ribs. Roast them briefly in a dry frying pan or on a griddle, a few seconds per side until they smell, because burnt peppers make your mole bitter, and then soak them in hot water for half an hour. Meanwhile, fry the almonds, raisins and a piece of stale tortilla in a little oil, and purée everything with roasted tomato, onion, garlic, sesame seeds, cinnamon and a few cloves into a smooth paste. Fry that paste in a wide pan in oil or lard until it becomes darker, thin it out with broth and let it simmer gently for at least an hour. At the end add a piece of pure chocolate and some panela or sugar, and taste for salt.

For a green mole or pipián you work in the same way, but with tomatillos from a can, roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh green pepper and a large bunch of cilantro.

Sesamzaad geroosterd · 65 gVoor in de saus en om over je bord te strooienAmandel geschaafd · 250 gBindt de saus en maakt hem zachtKaneel gemalen · 80 gEen snufje voor warmte, niet meerPanela Goya · 454 gOngeraffineerde rietsuiker, zoals piloncilloTomatillo La Costeña · blikVoor mole verde en pipián

Bekijk alle gedroogde Mexicaanse pepers →

Waarbij eet je mole?

Warme maïstortilla's horen er eigenlijk altijd bij, want mole eet je in Mexico het vaakst met kip of kalkoen, rijst ernaast en tortilla's om de saus mee op te scheppen. Met wat er overblijft vul je de volgende dag enmoladas, tortilla's die door de mole worden gehaald en om draadjes kip worden gerold. Hoe je tortilla's warm en soepel houdt, lees je in Tortilla's en masa.

Een schep zwarte bonen ernaast maakt het bord af; welke bonen je daarvoor neemt staat in Mexicaanse bonen. Ook op een taco-avond is mole met kip een fijne vulling, zie Taco night thuis. Zonder vlees werkt het ook, met geroosterde pompoen of bloemkool in mole die je in groentebouillon oplost.

Mole en ingrediënten Doña María, tomatilloMole-pasta's en wat je verder nodig hebtShop nuGedroogde pepers ancho, pasilla, mulatoVoor je eigen mole en salsa'sShop nuTortilla's en masa maïs, 15 cmOm de saus mee op te scheppenShop nuBonen zwart, pinto, refritosVoor naast je bord moleShop nu

Recepten met mole

In enmoladas en pollo en pipián verde leng je de pasta aan met het kookvocht van gepocheerde kipdijfilet. De barbacoa is geen mole, maar draait om dezelfde ancho en pasilla.

EnmoladasMaïstortilla's met draadjes kipdijfilet, gerold en bedekt met mole poblano.Pollo en pipián verdeKipdijfilet in een romige groene saus van pompoenpitten met verse koriander.Tacos de barbacoaRunderwang die uren stooft met ancho en pasilla, tot hij uit elkaar valt.

Veelgestelde vragen

Mole is misschien wel het mooiste voorbeeld van hoe de Mexicaanse keuken in elkaar zit, met gedroogde pepers, zaden en specerijen die samen langzaam iets worden wat je in geen van de losse ingrediënten terugproeft. Begin gerust met een potje Doña María en een pan kipdijfilet op een gewone doordeweekse avond, en als je de smaak eenmaal te pakken hebt, haal je een zakje ancho, pasilla en mulato in huis en maak je op een rustige zondag je eigen pan. Sta je in de toko in Amsterdam en weet je even niet welke pepers je moet hebben, vraag het ons dan gerust, en wil je meer weten over de rest van de keuken, van maïs en masa tot salsa's en bonen, lees dan verder in Mexicaanse keuken 101.