Na'atik Language & Culture Institute

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Doña Maria's Chirmole Recipe

Our homestay mother, Doña Maria's, 90-year-old grandmother makes the recado negro paste which is the herb and spice base of this yummy chirmole dish in the small town of Tepich (where the Caste War or Guerra de Castas started). You can buy already prepared recado negro in most markets in Mexico but here we will detail how you can make it at home so you can make Doña Maria's chirmole

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ kilos of chicken

  • 20 chiles de árbol

  • 5 cloves of garlic

  • 1 tsp of pepper

  • 6 dried oregano leaves

  • 1 ½ medium-sized onions  

  • 3 tomatoes

  • Salt to taste

Method:

To prepare the recado negro:

  • Char 20 chiles de arbol over an open flame.

  • Soak the burnt chiles in a cup of water. Let them rest for 1 hour then drain the water with a strainer.

  • Put the burnt chile in a pestle. Add garlic, pepper, oregano leaves and ½ an onion. Once you have grinded everything together, that is your recado negro.

To prepare the chirmole:

  • Put the recado negro in a cup or bowl with a bit of water and salt so that it can be used as the marinade. 

recado negro paste

  • Cover the chicken pieces in the marinade and place in a saucepan, cover with any remaining recado negro.

Chicken for chirmole

  • Cut the tomatoes and onion into slices and put them on top of the chicken. 

Chirmole recipe

  • Put a cup and a half of water in the bottom of the saucepan with the chicken to not wash off the recado negro.

  • Cover the saucepan and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes.

  • Serve with tortillas and enjoy!

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The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.