Vegetable pepián, a vegetarian recipe

Name: Vegetable pepián
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Guatemala
Ingredients: 60 g hulled pumpkin seeds; 40 g sesame seeds; 2 dried guajillo chillies, seeds removed; 1 dried pasilla chilli, seeds removed; 400 g ripe tomatoes, halved; 200 g tomatillos (or 2 tart green tomatoes); 1 onion, quartered; 4 unpeeled garlic cloves; 500 g potatoes, in large cubes; 250 g green beans, trimmed and halved; 2 tbsp oil; 800 ml vegetable stock labelled gluten free; Salt and pepper

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.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

Can I skip toasting the seeds?

No, toasting is what gives the dish its dark colour and nutty flavour; without it the sauce stays pale and flat. Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds separately, as they colour at different rates, and stop as soon as they start popping.

What can replace tomatillos?

They bring a green acidity that balances the richness of the seeds. Two properly tart green tomatoes will do; otherwise use ripe tomatoes and add a squeeze of lime at the end to restore that contrast.

Why fry the purée in hot oil?

Those eight minutes in fat cook out the raw purée, darken it and concentrate the flavours of the chillies and seeds. Poured straight into the stock, the sauce would taste raw and stay far less deep.

Vegetable pepián

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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