This recipe was originally published on October 20, 2015 and has been modified and updated for our new website.
Pipián verde is a type of Mexican sauce in which the main ingredient is pumpkin seeds.
This sauce has a similar consistency to mole. You can buy pre-made pipián verde, but nothing beats the fresh homemade one.
This is not a difficult recipe to make and the flavor is amazing.
Usually pipián is eaten with chicken, Mexican rice, and refried beans, but I served it with mackerel filets and a salad to make it a bit lighter.
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Pipián Verde
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 mackerel filets
Ingredients
- 4 mackerel fillets
- 1/4 cup green pumpkin seeds toasted
- 1/2 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon maseca flour
- 2 poblano peppers deseeded and roasted (or substitute with green peppers)
- 1/2 small onion
- 1 or 2 serrano peppers
- 3 fresh tomatillos (or substitute with one can of green tomatillos)
- 1 peeled garlic clove
- 2/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons rapeseed oil (or substitute with vegetable oil)
- 1 bag of watercress salad
Preparing the poblano peppers
- First roast the pumpkin and sesame seeds on a frying pan on medium heat for five minutes.
- Roast the poblano or green peppers on the stove top burners until they are completely blistered and charred all over.
- Wrap the peppers with a tea towel and place them in plastic.
- Let the peppers sit for about 8 minutes. (Note: This will make the peppers sweat. Making the skin peel easier).
- Peel the charred skin and remove the seed and stem.
Preparing the chiles and the sauce
Cook the tomatillos and serrano chiles in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover them. (Note: If you are using tin tomatillos, only cook the serrano chiles).
Place the peeled roasted poblano peppers, tomatillos, serrano chiles, onion, garlic, cilantro, green pumpkin seeds, maseca flour, sesame seed, and chicken stock into a blender and purée until smooth.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil, pour in the sauce, and salt to taste.
Stir from time to time and cook for around 15 minutes until the sauce has a consistency of heavy cream (Note: If it’s too thick, add more chicken broth until you get the desired consistency.)
Turn the heat off and set aside.
The sauce is now ready to be served with the mackerel fillets.
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Preparing the mackerel filets
- Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add the oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add two mackerel filets at a time, skin down.
- Push the filets down with a spatula (Note: This will avoid the filet to curl up).
- Fry them three to five minutes on each side.
Serving the mackerel filets
- Serve some watercress salad on a dinner plate.
- Place one mackerel filet on top of the salad
- Drizzle some pipián sauce on top of the fish.
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About the Author
Karla Zazueta
Author of Mexican Food Memories, a Mexican-food blog that focuses on recipes from her childhood. Karla learned how to cook traditional meals from her father growing up in Mexico.
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