Recipe of the Month - Sikil Pak
The holiday season in Mexico is always filled with lively fiestas where the streets come alive with music, colorful decorations, and the mouthwatering aroma of traditional dishes, as families, friends, and colleagues gather to celebrate. Mexican parties are often long affairs and almost always feature plenty of delicious food. One common party staple is a selection of dips that can be enjoyed with tortilla chips or prepared vegetable crudités. In Quintana Roo, one of the most popular dips is a Maya dish called Sikil Pak (or Sikil P’aak), which combines the nutty richness of ground toasted pumpkin seeds, known as pepita, with a smoky hint of roasted chiles and the bright freshness of cilantro.
This rich and flavorful dip is very versatile and can be adjusted to suit various spice levels. While the traditional method calls for toasting and grinding your own pepita, pre-ground pepita is now widely available in stores across the region. This makes the preparation process quicker and more convenient than ever. For those living outside the Yucatán Peninsula, access to pre-ground seeds may be limited, but it is well worth the effort of making your own at home.
Sikil Pak Recipe
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour and 10 min
Servings: 12 (as a party dip)
Ingredients
10-12 fresh tomatoes
10 cloves garlic
6 chile habanero
30 g ground pepita
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp salt
Instructions
Blacken whole tomatoes, garlic cloves, and habanero chiles in a dry pan on the stove until softened.
Chop cilantro leaves finely
With a fork and knife, cut open roasted chiles and deseed. Cut tomatoes in half and remove the core (harder white section) to maintain the desired texture.
In a molcajete (mortar and pestle), grind the garlic until pulpy and then add to a large mixing bowl. Repeat with chile habanero and then tomatoes. Conserve tomato juice in a bowl off to the side. (If a molcajete is unavailable, ingredients can be blended with an electric blender or minced by hand.)
Mix all ingredients together after adding the ground pepita.
Add salt and prepared cilantro to taste.
If the mixture is too liquidy, add more ground pepita. If the mixture is too dry, add tomato juice.
Serve with chips, fresh vegetables, or tortillas.
Enjoy!
Tips and Serving Suggestions
For a smoky flavor, roast the chile habanero and garlic over an open flame instead of a dry pan.
Experiment with different types of tomatoes, such as Roma or heirloom, to adjust the flavor profile.
Sikil Pak pairs wonderfully with tostadas, grilled fish, or even as a spread in sandwiches.
Want to know more about Mexican-Maya food? Check out the recipe section of our blog page for some great recipes from the Zona Maya and beyond.
If you want to sample the unique flavors of the Mexican Caribbean, the best place is in the kitchens of our local families. Na’atik’s MaS (Maya and Spanish) immersion students stay with local families during their time with us, sharing three meals a day with their host family. To find out more about how you can improve your language skills and experience the real Mexico, visit our immersion page or send our team an email at mas@naatikmexico.org today.