Condiments
Salsa macha
Salsa macha is Mexico's answer to crispy chilli oil: dried chillies, garlic, peanuts and sesame fried in oil and blitzed to a crunchy, spoonable sauce. It's excellent on eggs, tacos, grilled vegetables and avocado on toast.
Chile de árbol brings the heat and guajillo adds colour and a fruity depth. Use more guajillo and fewer árbol if you want it milder.
- Prep 10 min
- Cook 10 min
- Total 20 min
- Makes about 300 ml
Ingredients
- 250 ml neutral oil
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 50 g roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 15 dried chile de árbol, stems removed
- 3 dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed, torn
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
Method
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Step 1
Fry garlic
Warm the oil in a small pan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pale golden.
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Step 2
Add nuts
Add the peanuts and sesame seeds and cook for 1 minute.
-
Step 3
Add chillies
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the dried chillies. They should sizzle gently. Leave for 2 minutes, stirring, so they toast without burning.
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Step 4
Blitz
Cool for 10 minutes, then pulse in a food processor with the vinegar, sugar and salt until coarse and crunchy, not smooth.
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Step 5
Store
Spoon into a clean jar. Keep in the fridge for up to a month and stir before using.
Grow your own
The chillies in this recipe are easy to grow from seed in New Zealand.
