Salsa de Semillas. Toasted Chile Pumpkin Seed Salsa

Salsa de Semillas! A toasted chile and seed salsa that is so addicting! It was 2011 and the decision to return to Mexico, after fifteen years, without my parents was bittersweet. My tia (aunt) Minerva, took me under her wing and unsuspectedly taught me some new things about cooking Mexican dishes. The simple technique of lightly toasting or frying dried chiles and seeds was a game changer for me. She sent me home with jars of spices, herbs and seeds that I was not accustomed to cooking with. I call this salsa the mole or pipian teaser! It combines dried chiles and toasted seeds to yield the most delicious creamy salsa!

What is the difference? Pipian or Salsa?

Most often, a red or green pipian isn’t set out to be spicy. Every family has their own cherished recipe for pipian. I prefer using pumpkin seeds that are peeled, but many recipes call for the entire pumpkin seed with the shell. I could get away with doing that since I have a vitamix, but prefer the flavor of the toasted pepitas directly on the comal(griddle). Some pipian recipes include tomatoes (for red) or tomatillos (for green) and spices like cinnamon, cloves and allspice. This salsa is spicy and the flavors of the toasted sesame seeds, pepitas and cumin really come through!

Salsa de Semillas Translates to Salsa of Seeds

If you are not familiar with adding toasted seeds to your everyday cooked salsa recipes, maybe it’s time you tried. When I attempted this combination the first time, I did not add the cumin seeds. It was still delicious, but the toasted cumin seeds add so much flavor!

The photo below is the original photo I shot of the spices my tia Minerva sent home with me. That was a true treasure!

Lime and vinegar?

Both acidic, but completely different flavors in this salsa recipe. The lime will keep us coming back for more. The vinegar will add tang but will also help preserve the salsa for several weeks.

Get into the habit of using a digital scale when preparing recipes with dried chiles.

In my experience, the size and even the color of some dried chiles can vary depending on the brand. As you can see in the third section the collage. Thise are both guajillo peppers, just different brands. The sizes will vary as well. Sometimes it’s pretty drastic. Digital scales are fairly inexpensive and can be found in most department stores.

Ribeye Steak Tacos with salsa de semillas and tomatillo avocado salsa. Homemade corn tortillas, of course!

For a smoother salsa de semillas you will need to mix in a little more water when you blend the salsa.

Salsa de Semillas. Toasted Chile and Seed Salsa

It was 2011 and the decision to return to Mexico, after fifteen years, without my parents was bittersweet. My tia (aunt) Minerva, took me under her wing and unsuspectedly taught me some new things about cooking Mexican dishes. The simple technique of lightly toasting or frying dried chiles and seeds was a game changer for me. She sent me home with jars of spices and seeds that I was not accustomed to cooking with. I call this salsa the mole teaser! It combines dried chiles and toasted seeds to yield the most delicious creamy salsa!

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Course: Salsa/Sauces

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 ounces

Ingredients

• 20 chile de arbol or japones, 7 gr after stems are removed removed
• 2 chile guajillo, 16 gr After removing stems and seeds. Reserve 1 tsp. of the seeds
• 1/4 c 30 gr, raw pepitas, pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 c 35 gr, sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. Cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tsps. Mexican oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, 28 gr
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• Juice of 1 large lime
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat a comal(griddle) to medium/low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add all the dried chiles. After 0ne or two minutes, the peppers will become aromatic. Using a flat edge wooden spoon, gently press the peppers against the hot griddle to speed up the toasting. Turn as needed. You should see some blackening in some spots. The toasting will bring out more flavor. Remove the peppers and set them aside.
• To the hot griddle, add the pepitas, sesame seeds and cumin seeds. Stirring often, toast the seeds until the pepitas and sesame seeds turn a light golden brown and begin to pop. This should take a few minutes. When toasting chiles, seeds or nuts, you should never leave them unattended because they can burn easily. Turn the griddle off and add the oregano and seeds from the chile guajillo. Toast for 30 seconds, then remove it from the hot griddle.
• In a glass measuring cup, heat the water in the microwave for 90 seconds. Transfer the dried chiles to the blender jar. Pour in 1 cup of hot water. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients listed. Blend on high until smooth. Halfway through, stop and scrape down the sides of the blender jar. Blend on high for 30 seconds. Taste for salt. If you want to thin out the salsa a little more, mix in a little more water. The salsa tends to thicken as it sits. Excellent salsa for grilled steak, chicken or grilled pork chops!

Notes

Tips and Variations: Toast some extra seeds to decorate the top of the salsa before serving. Add a mix of nuts like slivered almonds, chopped pecans or peanuts to add different layers of flavors.
Whisk this salsa with some olive oil and use it for an adobo or marinade for chicken or pork.
Blend with some Mexican crema and chicken broth to prepare some bomb chicken enchiladas!
For a milder version, reduce the arbol peppers by half and add 2 more chile guajillo.

Easy Ribeye Steaks. I seasoned 3 thin ribeye steaks with salt and pepper. I pan seared them in a preheated nonstick skillet set to medium/high heat for several minutes. I drizzled in some avocado oil and less than one minute later, sear the steaks for 3 minutes on the first side, then flip and sear for another 2 minutes. I let them rest for 10 minutes. I diced them up, then reheated the beef in a smoking hot skillet for less than one minute. Served right away in the tacos. Prep all of the other ingredients for the tacos ahead of time before reheating the diced steak.

Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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