Vegetable pepián
Local name : Pepián de verduras
A deep, velvety Guatemalan stew thickened with toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds and smoky dried chillies.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Method
- Dry-toast the pumpkin seeds, then the sesame seeds, in a hot pan for 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden and popping. Set aside separately.
- In the same pan, press the chillies flat for 20 seconds a side, then cover with boiling water and leave to swell for 15 minutes.
- Still dry, char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion and garlic for 10 minutes, turning them. Peel the garlic once cool enough to handle.
- Blend the charred vegetables, drained chillies and toasted seeds with 200 ml of the stock to a smooth, thick purée.
- Heat the oil in a casserole and pour in the purée; it will spit. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and smells nutty.
- Add the remaining stock, the potatoes and a little salt. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the green beans and cook for 10 minutes more, until everything is tender and the sauce coats a spoon. Season and serve with rice and tortillas.
Pepián is among Guatemala’s oldest dishes, inherited from Mayan kitchens. Toasting the seeds is not optional: it gives the stew both its dark colour and its nutty backbone.
