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Pumpkin, a quintessential autumn ingredient, can go far beyond lattes and pies…although those are yummy too. One of the most exciting ways to incorporate pumpkin into your seasonal cooking is by making pumpkin mole. This unique take on the traditional Mexican sauce adds a comforting twist that’s perfect for the cooler weather.
What is Mole?
Mole (pronounced moh-lay) is a rich, complex sauce deeply rooted in Mexican culinary tradition. With countless regional variations, it often blends ingredients like chiles, chocolate, nuts, spices, and other flavorful additions. The most famous version is mole poblano, with its distinct combination of dried chiles and chocolate, but other varieties like mole verde, mole negro, and mole rojo are beloved across the country.
So, how does pumpkin fit into the equation? By adding pumpkin to mole, we’re enhancing the sauce with a touch of natural sweetness and earthy flavors that pair beautifully with the traditional spicy, smoky, and slightly bitter elements of mole.
Pumpkin Mole
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
- vegetable oil, to fry
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup raw pepitas
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 corn tortilla, cut into pieces
- 15 oz canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a boil turn it off. Meanwhile continue width the recipe.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly fry the ancho and guajillo chiles for a few minutes both sides until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Place them into the warming chicken broth and set aside. They will soften further as they soak.
- In the same skillet, add the almonds, pepitas, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, dried oregano, dried sage, cinnamon stick, raisins and tortilla pieces, and saute until everything is fragrant and toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer everything to a blender and reserve.
- In the same large skillet, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onion, habanero and garlic until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer everything to the blender.
- With tongs, add the dried chiles and some broth to the blender and puree until fairly smooth.
- Add pumpkin puree and salt and continut to puree, adding all the remaining broth slowly until smooth.
- Place a fine sieve over the saucepan strain the blended mixture. Discard the solids.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in the large skillet and then carefully pour in the blended mixture. Bring it to a boil and then simmer (partially covered) for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thick.
- Once the mole has thickened to your desired consistency, taste and adjust seasoning.
Notes
- If your pumpkin mole is too thick, simply mix in some more hot chicken broth. If it's too water, simmer it uncovered to cook off excess liquid until the desired consistency.
- Placing hot ingredients and broth into a blender can cause pressure to build as they expand and explode. Wait until the mixture cools slightly or simply remove the center part of the blender's top and hold a kitchen towel over the lid while blending.
How to Use Pumpkin Mole
The applications are endless! The most obvious one is to pour it over chicken (roasted, grilled, shredded, store-bought rotisserie) or turkey. Take that sauce and make Enmoladas, which is just enchiladas but made with mole sauce. Drizzle it on some taquitos or make up a platter of nachos. Heck, just serve it with some chips. Mole is also great with roasted vegetables. However you prefer it, its best enjoyed with your loved ones.
Note: Despite being in the ingredient shot above, dark brown sugar is not used in this recipe. I prefered the savory notes over the sweet ones in this recipe. I think the raisins and pumpkin provide enough sweetness, but if you really want to, I’d add a teaspoon at a time in the very last step.
