Papadzules

Serves: 4

Citlalli Gibson

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

44

Spice

47

Sweetness

55

Sourness

38

mins

Prep time (avg)

5.5

Difficulty

Ingredients:

2.5 cups

Water (657ml)

Directions:

1

Have ready a warmed, not hot, serving dish or warmed individual dishes

2

Put the water, epazote, and salt into a small pan and bring to a boil

3

Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes

4

Spread the pumpkin seeds in a thin layer over the bottom of a large skillet and heat through gently over low heat, turning them over from time to time

5

The seeds will swell, but take care not to let them become even slightly golden or the sauce will lose its fresh green color

6

You might want to keep a lid handy because often some of the seeds will start jumping out of the pan

7

Spread the seeds onto a metal tray to cool completely before grinding to avoid the blades seizing up with the volatile oil

8

Using an electric coffee/spice grinder, grind a portion of the seeds at a time to a slightly textured consistency, 5 to 6 seconds

9

If the seeds are ground too fine, then it will be more difficult to extract the oil

10

Have a small glass bowl ready for the oil

11

Put the ground seeds onto a plate that has a slight ridge around the rim

12

Measure out 1/4 cup (63ml) of the epazote broth and little by little sprinkle it — don't, for goodness' sake, pour the whole lot — over the seeds and work it with your hands, first having put the telephone on automatic answering

13

Gradually add the liquid until you have a crumbly but cohesive paste

14

Tilt the plate a little to one side and put a folded cloth underneath to hold it in that position

15

Start squeezing the paste and you will see that drops of oil will begin to extrude

16

Add a little more warm liquid if necessary — you probably won't need the whole amount — and keep squeezing until you have collected almost 4 tablespoons of dark green oil

17

(This is pure vitamin E, and great for the hands

18

) Crumble the paste into a blender jar, add the remaining strained epazote broth, if desired, and blend until smooth

19

Transfer the sauce to a skillet and warm through over the lowest possible heat, stirring almost constantly because the starch content of the seeds begins to swell and the particles tend to coagulate in the bottom of the pan

20

Dip one of the warm tortillas into the sauce: it should be lightly covered

21

If the sauce is too thick, dilute it with a little extra warm water

22

Work as quickly as you can, dipping each tortilla into the sauce, holding it with tongs but supporting it with a spatula so you don't get left with a bit of broken tortilla in your tongs

23

Sprinkle some of the chopped egg across one-third of the tortilla, roll it up, and place it on the warmed dish

24

When all the papadzules are assembled, pour the remaining sauce over them

25

(If the sauce has thickened and become grainy looking, put it back into the blender with a little extra warm water and blend until smooth

26

) Now pour on the tomato sauce and sprinkle the chopped egg whites and yolks

27

Decorate with the optional epazote

28

As a final touch, spoon in little pools of the oil

29

Serve immediately or the oil will sink back into the sauce and all that work will have been for naught! Of course, it is more colorful and attractive to serve the papadzules together on one serving dish

30

Have ready a warmed, not hot, serving dish or warmed individual dishes

31

Put the water, epazote, and salt into a small pan and bring to a boil

32

Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes

33

Spread the pumpkin seeds in a thin layer over the bottom of a large skillet and heat through gently over low heat, turning them over from time to time

34

The seeds will swell, but take care not to let them become even slightly golden or the sauce will lose its fresh green color

35

You might want to keep a lid handy because often some of the seeds will start jumping out of the pan

36

Spread the seeds onto a metal tray to cool completely before grinding to avoid the blades seizing up with the volatile oil

37

Using an electric coffee/spice grinder, grind a portion of the seeds at a time to a slightly textured consistency, 5 to 6 seconds

38

If the seeds are ground too fine, then it will be more difficult to extract the oil

39

Have a small glass bowl ready for the oil

40

Put the ground seeds onto a plate that has a slight ridge around the rim

41

Measure out 1/4 cup (63ml) of the epazote broth and little by little sprinkle it — don't, for goodness' sake, pour the whole lot — over the seeds and work it with your hands, first having put the telephone on automatic answering

42

Gradually add the liquid until you have a crumbly but cohesive paste

43

Tilt the plate a little to one side and put a folded cloth underneath to hold it in that position

44

Start squeezing the paste and you will see that drops of oil will begin to extrude

45

Add a little more warm liquid if necessary — you probably won't need the whole amount — and keep squeezing until you have collected almost 4 tablespoons of dark green oil

46

(This is pure vitamin E, and great for the hands

47

) Crumble the paste into a blender jar, add the remaining strained epazote broth, if desired, and blend until smooth

48

Transfer the sauce to a skillet and warm through over the lowest possible heat, stirring almost constantly because the starch content of the seeds begins to swell and the particles tend to coagulate in the bottom of the pan

49

Dip one of the warm tortillas into the sauce: it should be lightly covered

50

If the sauce is too thick, dilute it with a little extra warm water

51

Work as quickly as you can, dipping each tortilla into the sauce, holding it with tongs but supporting it with a spatula so you don't get left with a bit of broken tortilla in your tongs

52

Sprinkle some of the chopped egg across one-third of the tortilla, roll it up, and place it on the warmed dish

53

When all the papadzules are assembled, pour the remaining sauce over them

54

(If the sauce has thickened and become grainy looking, put it back into the blender with a little extra warm water and blend until smooth

55

) Now pour on the tomato sauce and sprinkle the chopped egg whites and yolks

56

Decorate with the optional epazote

57

As a final touch, spoon in little pools of the oil

58

Serve immediately or the oil will sink back into the sauce and all that work will have been for naught! Of course, it is more colorful and attractive to serve the papadzules together on one serving dish