Mole de Garbanzos 🌸🥰

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to finally share a recipe that’s incredibly close to my heart: my family’s Mole de Garbanzos. Growing up, the incredible smells from my mom Letty's kitchen – her 'Cocina de Letty' – were always a sign of something delicious brewing, and this chickpea mole was a frequent favorite. It’s a dish that embodies warmth, tradition, and incredible flavor, and I can’t wait for you to try it! For those new to it, 'mole' (pronounced MOH-lay) is a general term for several types of rich, complex sauces in Mexican cuisine, often made with a blend of chili peppers, spices, and sometimes even a touch of chocolate. Our Mole de Garbanzos takes this tradition and beautifully incorporates garbanzos (chickpeas), making it a hearty and satisfying vegetarian option. It's truly a labor of love, but the result is so worth it! Here’s what you’ll need to create this delicious Mole de Garbanzos: Ingredients: For the Chile Paste: 3-4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and deseeded 2-3 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and deseeded 1-2 dried mulato chiles, stemmed and deseeded (optional, for deeper flavor) 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped 1/4 white onion, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon vegetable oil For the Mole Base: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 white onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano A pinch of ground cloves A pinch of ground cinnamon 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 1/4 cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1 small piece of stale bread or a corn tortilla, torn 4 cups vegetable broth (plus more if needed) For the Garbanzos: 2 cans (15 oz each) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas 1 ounce Mexican chocolate tablet (or 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tsp sugar) Salt to taste Instructions: Prepare the Chiles: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the dried chiles for 30-60 seconds per side until fragrant (be careful not to burn them). Immediately transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and let them rehydrate for 20-30 minutes until soft. Once soft, drain and set aside. Make the Chile Paste: In a blender, combine the rehydrated chiles, chopped tomatoes, 1/4 white onion, and 2 cloves of garlic. Add a splash of broth if needed to help it blend. Blend until smooth. You can strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve for an even smoother mole, but it’s optional. Sauté Aromatics: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped 1/2 white onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, coriander, oregano, cloves, and cinnamon. Cook for another minute until fragrant. Toast Nuts & Thickener: In a separate dry pan, toast the pepitas, sesame seeds, and almonds over medium-low heat until lightly golden and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from pan. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and fry the stale bread or tortilla until golden. Transfer the toasted nuts, seeds, and fried bread to the blender with 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Combine & Simmer: Add the chile paste from Step 2 to the pot with the sautéed aromatics. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes until the paste darkens and thickens. This step is crucial for developing flavor. Then, stir in the blended nut and seed mixture. Add the remaining 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Add Garbanzos & Chocolate: Add the rinsed and drained chickpeas to the mole. Stir in the Mexican chocolate until it melts and is fully incorporated. If using cocoa powder and sugar, add them now. Season & Serve: Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the mole simmer for at least 30-45 minutes, or even longer, for the flavors to meld beautifully. Season with salt to taste. It should be a rich, thick sauce. If it's too thick, add a little more broth or water. If it's too thin, simmer uncovered for a bit longer. Tips for Success & Variations: Patience is Key: My mom always says the secret to a great mole is patience! Allowing it to simmer slowly lets all the flavors deepen and meld together. Spice Level: For a milder mole, remove more of the chile seeds and veins. For more heat, leave some in or add a tiny bit of chile de árbol. Serving Suggestions: We usually serve our Mole de Garbanzos with warm corn tortillas, fluffy white rice, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or extra sesame seeds. It's incredibly versatile and makes for fantastic leftovers, as the flavors often improve overnight! Make Ahead: Mole freezes beautifully, so don't hesitate to make a big batch! This Mole de Garbanzos recipe is a true taste of home for me, a culinary hug from my mom's kitchen. It’s a little project, but the reward is a bowl full of rich, comforting flavors that you’ll want to make again and again. I truly hope this brings some deliciousness into your home. Buena suerte with your cooking, and bendiciones to you all!