Mole de olla has always been one of my favorite dishes.
A staple back home in Veracruz during any weekday lunch, I still remember the smell emanating from a simmering pot in the kitchen.
This traditional dish is originally made with a broth of beef cooked in a sauce made with dried chiles and vegetables like chayote, carrots, potatoes, green beans and xoconostle.
We don't eat red meat at home, so this vegan tribute to the traditional mole de olla is made with oyster mushrooms as they have a lovely texture which goes very well with the broth, vegetables and the masa dumplings or chochoyotes (corn masa dumplings) which bring this dish to the next level of comfort food.
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Vegan Mole
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
tips before starting
If you cannot find oyster mushrooms, you can substitute them by using any type of wild mushrooms, as these are more similar to a meaty texture.
Traditionally, the veggies used in the mole de olla are chopped in medium size pieces but chop them to your preferred size.
In the original mole de olla recipe, xoconostle is used, although this ingredient is not widely available outside of Mexico. If you can find it, add one piece peeled and chopped to the broth. It gives a nice sour flavor to the mole de olla.
Ingredients
1 cup (227 grams) of shredded oyster mushrooms
1 corn cob chopped into 4 pieces
5/8 cup (142 grams) green beans with the tops trimmed and chopped
1 large zucchini chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 chayote chopped
1 potato chopped
2 tomatoes chopped in four
1 ancho chile deveined and deseeded
1 guajillo chilie deveined and deseeded
1 pasilla chile deveined and deseeded
1 bay leaf
6 garlic cloves
1 white onion
7 cups of water
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of epazote
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (100 grams) of masa
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Preparation of the Mole de Olla
- In a large pot, add 6 cups of water, shredded oyster mushrooms, salt, 1 bay leaf, 2 garlic cloves and onion. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium size pan. Once the oil is hot, add the dried chilies, onion, garlic cloves and tomatoes. Roast them for ten minutes over a medium flame.
- Add ½ cup of water to the pan, reduce to low flame, and let them simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Cool down the ingredients and blend to a paste using the water of the pan.
- Sieve the mixture, discarding any remaining chili or tomato skin. This way we make sure our sauce for the mole de olla is velvety.
- Add the chopped corn, potato, and chayote to the large pot with the simmering oyster mushroom broth and boil for ten more minutes.
- Add the chopped green beans, carrots and zucchini and simmer for five minutes.
- Add the chile sauce to the broth, cover the lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the mole de olla is simmering, make the chochoyotes by molding masa balls with 1 teaspoon of oil and a bit of epazote. Press the center of the masa balls with your index finger to make a small indentation.
- Add the chochoyotes to the mole de olla and cook for ten more minutes, making sure the masa is cooked before serving.
- Serve with chopped coriander, lime wedges, and warm tortillas.
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About the Author
Gabriela Cárdenas
Gaby is a passionate home cook from Mexico. Life took her to Mumbai, India where she fell in love with the country, the food and her husband Jasdeep. She is the brains behind @thepunjaxican, an Instagram account where she shares her favorite Indian and Mexican dishes with her own Punjaxican (Punjabi + Mexican) recipes as a homage to both ethnicities. Punjaxican is the type of fusion recipes she makes at home when they are “ni muy muy ni tan tan” Indian or Mexican.
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