Welcome back food family!
Today I’m sharing this delicious recipe that my mom shared with me. She tells me it was one of her uncle’s favorite side dishes that his wife would prepare for him almost daily.
If you like spicy, 🔥 then you’ll love this side dish. You can control the spice by simply adding less chile de arbol. These nopalitos 🌵 go great with some frijoles de la olla.
Are you ready? Then put on your mandil and #LetsGoaCocinar!!!
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs Nopales thorns removed
1/4 cup CILANTRO roughly chopped
1 to 2 GARLIC CLOVES
16 to 20 CHILE DE ÁRBOL
3 tbs AVOCADO OIL
WATER
Instructions:
1-Cut the nopales in small squares. Set aside.
2-Add 3 to 4 cups of water to a steamer pot. Turn the stove to medium.
3-Add the NOPALES, ONION and CILANTRO to the steamer pot. Cover the pot. Once the water begins to boil, cook the nopales for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft and fully cooked through.
4-Meanwhile over medium low heat add 1 tbs of AVOCADO OIL. Once hot toss in the CHILE DE ARBOL and GARLIC CLOVES. Keep tossing until toasted. Be careful not to over toast the peppers or they will get bitter.
5-Once fully toasted, blend the chile de arbol and garlic cloves using a molcajete.
6-Once fully blended add 1 to 2 tbs of WATER and 1 to 2 tbs of AVOCADO OIL to the salsa. Mix with a spoon.
7-Add the nopales to the molcajete salsa. Mix to incorporate the salsa with the nopales.
PRO TIP 1: The salsa can also be made in a blender or bullet blender if you don’t have a molcajete.
PRO TIP 2: Most Mexican grocery stores sell nopales with thorns removed. Some are even sold pre cut. This saves on prep time. Alternatively, you can also use bottled or canned nopales. Make sure to rinse them with cold water once out of the container.
PRO TIP 3: Nopales can also be cooked in water if you don’t have a steamer. Once cool, wash the nopales with cold water.