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Mole amarillo

Amarillito · Mole amarillito · Yellow mole

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Mole amarillo, also called amarillito, is a yellow to orange Oaxacan mole built on cooked chile purée, thickened with corn masa and flavoured with herbs such as hoja santa, with no chocolate or dense nut mixture.

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Illustrative finished Oaxacan mole amarillo, a golden yellow-orange chile sauce thickened with corn masa in a plain bowl.

Overview

Mole amarillo is one of the seven moles of Oaxaca. It is also called amarillito. Its colour runs from yellow to orange, and it is one of the lighter and brighter moles of the state.

Unlike mole negro, it has no chocolate or dense nut mixture. The structure rests on chile, herbs and starch, and the corn masa thickens the sauce where other moles use bread or nuts.

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History

Sources agree the dish has pre-Hispanic roots, though details differ. After the conquest, garlic and Asian spices entered the recipe, and cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and cumin are now used in it.

Some accounts argue that mole as a family was first invented in Puebla. The dish is listed in the Mexican cuisine heritage listing of 2010, according to a Spanish-language source.

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Chiles and herbs

The yellow colour comes from chilhuacle amarillo, chilcostle, costeño amarillo and guajillo chiles, though chilhuacle is hard to find and cooks often use guajillo. Chilhuacle is the fuller-flavoured chile and costeño is smaller and more citrusy.

Hoja santa is the herb the Spanish-language account treats as obligatory. Pitiona is used on the coast, epazote in the isthmus and Mexican oregano in the valleys.

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Preparation

The chiles are toasted, deseeded and softened, then ground with green tomato, onion, garlic and herbs. The purée is mixed with masa, fried, thinned with broth and simmered until it coats a spoon.

Recipe details, especially herbs and chile choice, vary by cook and region.

Sources for this section

History

One Spanish-language account says the mole seems to have been prepared in Oaxaca since before the Spanish arrived. After the conquest, garlic and spices from Asia entered the recipe; cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and cumin are now used in it.

Sources disagree on the origin of the family: some say Oaxaca's many moles were first invented in Puebla. The dish is listed in the Mexican cuisine heritage listing (2010) by a Spanish-language source.

Ingredients

Chilhuacle amarillo chilestoasted, deseeded and softened
Amount not stated
hard to find; guajillo is the common substitute, which makes the sauce more orange
Costeño amarillo chiles (optional)toasted, deseeded and softened
Amount not stated
smaller and more citrusy than chilhuacle
Guajillo chiles (optional)toasted, deseeded and softened
Amount not stated
substitute for chilhuacle
Ancho chiles (optional)toasted, deseeded and softened
Amount not stated
listed in one Oaxacan account
Green tomatoroasted or boiled
Amount not stated
Onionfried
Amount not stated
Garlicfried
Amount not stated
Corn masa
Amount not stated
the thickener; the sources say it replaces bread or tortilla
Hoja santafresh leaves
Amount not stated
the sources call it obligatory for mole amarillo
Cumin (optional)ground
Amount not stated
Cloves (optional)
Amount not stated
Cinnamon (optional)
Amount not stated
Black pepper (optional)
Amount not stated
Oregano (optional)
Amount not stated
Mexican oregano is common in the valleys
Epazote (optional)
added in the isthmus
Broth
Amount not stated
thins the paste while it simmers

Method

  1. Toast and deseed the chiles, soften them in hot water, and grind them to a purée.
  2. Fry the onion and garlic and cook the green tomato until soft.
  3. Grind the chile purée with the tomato, herbs and spices until smooth.
  4. Mix the purée with corn masa and fry it in hot fat, stirring until it thickens.
  5. Thin with broth and simmer until the sauce is yellow to orange and coats a spoon. Serve with onion, lime and oregano.

Places

Oaxaca

Traditional preparation · Region evidence

The sources tie the mole mainly to the coast, central valleys and isthmus of Oaxaca. They do not name a single town.

See Oaxacaon the mapLocation source 1 → · Location source 2 →

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