Salsa macha dates to precolonial Mexico and can be made with a variety of dried peppers, nuts, and oils. Unlike the fresh table salsas you may have grown up eating in New Mexico, salsa macha is made with only dried ingredients, and like its Asian cousin, chile crunch, you can put it on just about anything you can dream up. Drizzle it on over-easy eggs, spread it on savory breakfast toast, stir it into sautéed mushrooms. After you’ve made the recipe once, feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste, playing with the chile varieties or swapping in different seeds or nuts. I love incorporating Aleppo pepper into mine because of its gentle, lingering warmth. Moritas, traditional to salsa macha, can be found locally, but chipotles (which are a slightly different form of dried jalapeño) can be substituted.
Salsa Macha
Ingredients
- 2 morita chiles
- 2 guajillo chiles
- 4 New Mexico red chiles
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, untoasted
- 2 cups vegetable oil (use 1 cup for a less oily texture)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- Sea salt, to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Chop or tear them into small pieces, about 1/4 inch or smaller.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add the pepitas, garlic, sesame seeds, and oil. The amount of oil you use will determine your salsa’s texture; use less oil for a thicker, nuttier salsa, and more for a smoother, oilier sauce. Cook until the garlic starts to crisp up and the seeds turn golden brown, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chiles. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt, and oregano. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and pulse several times until the salsa is blended with coarse texture. Don’t overprocess; you want a salsa with nice crispy bits, not a puree. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a month.
Stephanie Cameron was raised in Albuquerque and earned a degree in fine arts at the University of New Mexico. She is the art director, head photographer, recipe tester, marketing guru, publisher, and owner of edible New Mexico and The Bite.
