Mole amarillo
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.
Mole coloradito
Mole colorado · Oaxacan red mole · Mole coloradito oaxaqueño
Mole coloradito is one of Oaxaca's seven moles: a brick-red sauce built on ancho chiles and tomato, thickened with ground seeds and nuts and sweetened with fruit, served in a lighter, thinner form than mole negro.
Overview
Mole coloradito is one of the seven moles of Oaxaca. Its name means little red, and its brick-red colour comes mainly from ancho chiles and tomato. It is a separate family from mole negro, with its own balance rather than only a lighter colour.
The sauce is sweeter and thinner than mole negro. Its sweetness comes from dried fruit, raisins or plantain in different recipes, and sources disagree on whether chocolate belongs in it.
Sources for this section
History
The sources give only general background. The mole family is traced to pre-Hispanic grinding of seeds, tomatoes and chiles, with later changes after the Spanish conquest. Puebla and Oaxaca both claim the family.
No dated source for coloradito's origin was found in the material reviewed, so its date remains unknown.
Sources for this section
Preparation
Ancho chiles and any guajillo are toasted, deseeded and softened. Tomato, garlic, seeds, nuts and spices are fried or toasted, then ground with the chiles to a smooth paste.
The paste is fried in fat until it darkens, then thinned with broth and simmered until thick. Recipes vary widely in length and difficulty.
Sources for this section
Variants
Home versions differ in their chiles: some add guajillo, and one recipe uses chilcostle. Whether to add chocolate, raisins or plantain is a cook's decision in the sources reviewed.
Sources for this section
Use
The sources present coloradito as one of the state's seven moles, served in Oaxaca as a sauce for other dishes.
Sources for this section
History
The sources give only general background for mole coloradito. They place it among Oaxaca's seven moles and describe it as the sweeter, lighter red mole, distinct from mole negro. The sources do not establish the dish's specific origin or date.
Ingredients
Ancho chilestoasted, deseeded and rehydrated
the base chile
Guajillo chiles (optional)toasted, deseeded and rehydrated
Amount not stated
some versions add guajilloTomatoroasted or fried
Amount not stated
Garlicfried
Amount not stated
Sesame seedstoasted
Amount not stated
Almondstoasted
Amount not stated
Amount not stated
Amount not stated
Raisins (optional)
Amount not stated
common in home recipes; sources differ on whether sweetness comes from raisins, dried fruit or plantainPlantain (optional)fried
Amount not stated
some cooks use it to thicken and sweetenChocolate (optional)
Amount not stated
sources differ; one Oaxacan account lists no chocolate in coloraditoLard or oilfor frying the paste
Amount not stated
Broth
Amount not stated
thins the paste while it simmersMethod
- Toast and deseed the ancho and any guajillo chiles, then rehydrate them in hot water until soft.
- Fry or roast the tomato, garlic and onion until they colour; toast the seeds, nuts and spices separately.
- Grind the chiles with the tomato, toasted seeds and nuts, spices and any fruit or plantain to a smooth paste.
- Fry the paste in hot lard or oil until it darkens.
- Thin with broth and simmer, stirring, until it reaches a brick-red, slightly thick consistency. Season to taste.
Places
Oaxaca
Traditional preparation · Region evidenceOaxaca lists coloradito among its seven moles. The sources give no town of origin and no date for the dish.
Related
More from Oaxaca
Mole negro
Mole negro is the darkest and most elaborate of Oaxaca's seven moles: dried chiles and seeds are toasted and charred, ground with nuts, spices, bread and chocolate, then fried and simmered into a thick black sauce.
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Mole verde is a green mole from Mexico and Oaxaca, built on tomatillos or green tomatoes, fresh herbs such as epazote and hoja santa, and ground pumpkin seeds or masa, with no need to toast dried chiles.
Sal de gusano
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Pozol is lime-cooked maize ground to dough, shaped into balls, wrapped in banana leaves and fermented for days, then stirred into water as a sour drink in southeastern Mexico.
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Sources
WikipediaMethod · History
Oaxacan cuisineMole coloradito is brick-red, made with ancho chiles, tomatoes, garlic, sesame seeds, almonds, cinnamon and oregano; chocolate is not listed for it.
Cited in: Overview; Preparation; Use
WikipediaHistory
Mole sauceThe family is claimed by Puebla and Oaxaca; the article lists colorado among Oaxaca's moles.
Cited in: History
The Splendid TableMethod
Mole Coloradito OaxaqueñoA recipe-based account of the Oaxacan red mole.
Cited in: Preparation
Farm to JarMethod
Mole Coloradito: Oaxaca's Sweet Red MoleColoradito is described as the sweeter red mole; ancho chiles and tomatoes give its brick-red colour.
Cited in: Overview; Variants