Recipe of the Month: Chirmole
This month, we visited Phare, Na’atik’s librarian, who taught us how to prepare chirmole—a traditional dish from southeastern Mexico known for its rich color and bold flavor. It’s a meal that can be served with rice or tortillas, making it a perfect option to cook and enjoy with family, whether for a celebration or simply spending a cozy afternoon together.
Ingredients
2 carrots
1/2 bell pepper
1 tomato
1/2 onion
3 pieces of chicken (in this case, 2 drumsticks and 1 thigh)
2 medium potatoes
2 medium garlic cloves
Salt, black pepper, allspice, garlic powder, bay leaf, oregano, and cloves to taste
2 tablespoons of recado negro
Maggi seasoning sauce (or soy sauce)
Oil
Preparation Method
Chop the carrots, potatoes, tomato, bell pepper, and onion into small pieces. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the recado negro with one cup of water and let it sit.
Heat some oil in a pot over low heat and cook the chicken pieces for about 20 minutes.
Finely chop the garlic cloves and add them to the pot with the chicken.
Add half of the chopped onion and bell pepper (reserve the rest) and cook together with the chicken for about 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and discard the excess oil. Return the pot to the stove over low heat.
Add Maggi seasoning sauce (or soy sauce), salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Stir well.
Pour in the prepared recado negro mixture.
Add allspice and cloves to taste, along with a pinch of bay leaf and oregano.
Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
Add the remaining onion and bell pepper.
After about 15 minutes, add the potatoes, carrots, and tomato. Stir again.
Let it simmer over low heat until it begins to boil, stirring occasionally.
