Welcome back food family!
If you've ever had a soup with dumplings 🍜 you're going to love this recipe.
Chochoyotes are corn dough balls with a thumb print dimple in the center that are part of many typical dishes from the central and southern parts of Mexico. Their origin is pre-Hispanic and they are, in essence, a kind of "mini-tamalito" that are cooked in broth or sauce. They are enjoyed in some traditional Oaxacan moles, in chicken stews in the central part of Mexico and with black beans in Veracruz, among many other uses.
Here it's been prepared in a red, not so spicy, red salsa with nopales and chicken. It turned out delicious! 😋
Give this recipe a try! I think you will enjoy it. 💯👍🏽
Servings: 8
Salsa Ingredients:
8 Guajillo Peppers, seeds & stems removed
6 to 10 Chile de Árbol Peppers
6 Tomatoes
1 small Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Dry Epazote
1/2 tsp Mexican Oregano
Chochoyote Ingredients:
Corn Masa
Water
Salt
Cilantro, chopped
Other Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
Nopales, sliced -fresh, canned or bottled
Chicken Bouillon
Oil (aguacate, canola or vegetable)
Instructions:
1-In a pot over medium heat, boil the GUAJILLO, DE ARBOL PEPPERS, TOMATOES, ONION, GARLIC CLOVES in enough water so the veggies are fully covered. Once softened, about 5 to 8 minutes, add the veggies to the blender along with the CUMIN, EPAZOTE and OREGANO. Blend into a smooth salsa consistency. Set aside.
2-Slice and boil the NOPALES in enough water so they are well submerged until fully cooked. About 10 minutes. Remove them from the water. Set aside. Alternatively, you can use canned or bottled nopales. Make sure to rinse them in cold water once removed from the packaging. Set aside.
3-Cut the CHICKEN BREAST in cubes and boil over medium heat in enough water so they are fully covered. About 8 to 10 cups and 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken bouillon until fully cooked. Save the broth. Set aside.
4-Prepare the MASA by hand for the chochoyotes per package instructions. Mix in the salt and cilantro.
5-To make the chochoyotes, separate about 15 to 20 grams of masa. Place it in the palm of your hands. Use a circular motion to roll into a dough ball. Softly press your thumb in the center of the dough ball. Repeat this process until you've finished all the masa.
6-Add and soft boil the chochoyotes over medium low heat in the same pot with the chicken broth that you saved earlier. The water just needs to be hot enough to softly cook the chochoyotes. Use a spoon to move them around the broth until fully cooked, approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
7-In a pan over medium heat add 2 to 3 tablespoons of OIL. Once hot add the salsa. Be careful as it does tend to splatter. Add about 2 to 3 cups of the chicken broth. Keep tossing with a spoon until fully cooked. Approximately 5 minutes.
8-Add the CHOCHOYOTES, CHICKEN and NOPALES to the salsa. Softly mix with a spoon to incorporate all the ingredients. Salt to taste. You can also season with chicken bouillon. Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and let it simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy!
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