Sambar served with carrots, spicy and mouth-watering Indian dish Carrot sambar Yoghurt kebab served in pita with yoghurt sauce and fresh parsley Yoghurt kebab Spicy Pho served in a bowl, spicy rice noodle soup with fresh coriander and lime slices Spicy pho Smoked BBQ wild boar leg served Smoked BBQ Wild Boar Leg Chocolate and orange cake served Chocolate & orange cake Omurice bowl served with miso soup, omelette and miso soup Omurice bowl with traditional miso soup Freshly baked peach strudel Peach Strudel Momo with curry sauce steamed and served Momos with curry sauce Apple pie ravioli served Apple Pie Ravioli Kibbeh Nayyeh raw meat appetiser Middle Eastern style served Kibbeh nayyeh Chestnut tangsuyuk, crispy chicken with roasted chestnuts and sesame seeds Chestnut tangsuyuk Falukorv stuffed with mustard and onion, served with fresh coriander Baked Falukorv with mustard and onion Risi e Bisi served Risi e bisi Pav Bhaji with classic vegetables, served with fresh coriander and toasted rolls Mumbai street style pav bhaji Boiled sweet potato with chilli, spicy vegetable dish with coriander Boiled Sweet Potato with Chilli and Coriander Kebab in pita served Kebab in pita Freshly baked ciabatta rolls Homemade Italian ciabatta rolls Sacher waffles served Sacher waffles Golden baked cornmeal squares with visible chunks of white feta cheese Cheesy Cornbread (Proja) with Feta Misozuke, with fresh vegetables, in a miso paste marinade Misozuke Sambar served with carrots, spicy and mouth-watering Indian dish Carrot sambar Yoghurt kebab served in pita with yoghurt sauce and fresh parsley Yoghurt kebab Spicy Pho served in a bowl, spicy rice noodle soup with fresh coriander and lime slices Spicy pho Smoked BBQ wild boar leg served Smoked BBQ Wild Boar Leg Chocolate and orange cake served Chocolate & orange cake Omurice bowl served with miso soup, omelette and miso soup Omurice bowl with traditional miso soup Freshly baked peach strudel Peach Strudel Momo with curry sauce steamed and served Momos with curry sauce Apple pie ravioli served Apple Pie Ravioli Kibbeh Nayyeh raw meat appetiser Middle Eastern style served Kibbeh nayyeh Chestnut tangsuyuk, crispy chicken with roasted chestnuts and sesame seeds Chestnut tangsuyuk Falukorv stuffed with mustard and onion, served with fresh coriander Baked Falukorv with mustard and onion Risi e Bisi served Risi e bisi Pav Bhaji with classic vegetables, served with fresh coriander and toasted rolls Mumbai street style pav bhaji Boiled sweet potato with chilli, spicy vegetable dish with coriander Boiled Sweet Potato with Chilli and Coriander Kebab in pita served Kebab in pita Freshly baked ciabatta rolls Homemade Italian ciabatta rolls Sacher waffles served Sacher waffles Golden baked cornmeal squares with visible chunks of white feta cheese Cheesy Cornbread (Proja) with Feta Misozuke, with fresh vegetables, in a miso paste marinade Misozuke
Mole poblano served with chicken and rice
Rich and traditional Mexican mole poblano

Traditional Mexican mole poblano

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses Sauces and Gravies
Mole Poblano is the baroque masterpiece of Mexican cuisine, the 'queen of sauces'. It is a misconception that this is a chocolate sauce: chocolate is merely a spice here, linking the heat of the chillies and the creaminess of the seeds (sesame, almond). It is a complex emulsion where every step – roasting, soaking, and slow cooking – has a chemical reason for achieving perfect flavour harmony.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 40 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 350 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • High-performance blender
  • Sieve (for straining)
  • Heavy-bottomed saucepan

Allergen Information

⚠️ Nuts (Almond)
⚠️ Sesame

Instructions

1 ✓

Deseed the chillies and toast them in a dry, hot frying pan for 5-10 seconds per side. Careful not to burn them! Then soak them in hot water for 20 minutes.

Tip: Rehydration softens the fibres enough so you can blend them into a cream later.
2 ✓

In the same pan, toast the sesame seeds and almonds until golden brown. Set aside. Then roast the onion, garlic and whole tomatoes until dark brown (almost black on the skin).

Tip: This roasting (Maillard reaction) gives the mole its characteristic smoky depth.
3 ✓

Put the drained, soft chillies, toasted seeds/nuts, roasted vegetables, spices and a little stock into the blender. Blend until completely smooth.

Tip: If you don't have an industrial blender, pass the mixture through a sieve to remove tomato skins and chilli fibres.
4 ✓

Heat the lard in a saucepan until smoking. Carefully pour in the mixture – it will sizzle and spit! Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Tip: This heat shock stabilizes the flavours and colour.
5 ✓

Pour in the remaining stock, add the chocolate, and simmer over a low heat until the chocolate melts and the fat rises to the top of the sauce (approx. 15-20 minutes).

Tip: The separation of fat indicates the water has evaporated and the emulsion has thickened to the right consistency.

Recipe FAQ

Why has the sauce turned bitter?
The chilli probably burnt during toasting. Dried chillies turn bitter in seconds if overheated.
What chocolate should I use?
Traditionally Mexican (cinnamon-sugar) discs, but a good quality 70% dark chocolate is also perfect.

Ingredients

  • 4 whole Dried Ancho chillies
  • 4 whole Dried Pasilla or Mulato chillies
  • 30 g Sesame seeds
  • 30 g Almonds (blanched)
  • 50 g Dark chocolate (min. 70%)
  • 2 whole Tomatoes
  • 1 head Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp Cumin
  • 500 ml Chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp Lard or oil