tasty Salsa Macha is a very spicy chilli oil with tons of flavours! We slather this Mexican salsa on everything and once you try it you will understand why!
This post is all about salsa macha. A common spicy chilli oil in Mexico. The recipe is a Veracruz version of spicy salsa.
There's a lot of chilli oil on the market, but nothing beats a homemade salsa macha! This amazing chilli oil can be used in a whole range of different food. If you love spicy salsas, this recipe is one you will surely want to keep.
This is the one chilli oil you will need and probably use over and over again on everything. It's tasty, crunchy, and delicious! The garlic and arbol chilli brings a tasty oil that is hot and heavy with heat.
Salsa Macha from Veracruz is a super easy hot chilli oil using only two ingredients! Yes, that's right, you can make an amazing chilli oil using only arbol chilli AKA "chile de árbol" and garlic. It doesn't get easier than this,
What is Salsa Macha
Salsa Macha is originally from Veracruz and Oaxaca, and is now enjoyed throughout Mexico. Imagine the Mexican version of Chinese chilli oil.
Both Mexican and Chinese chilli oil are fried chilli, garlic, toasted nuts, and seeds all combined in oil. The taste of Mexican and Cantonese chilli oil are very similar. In fact, if you put them side by side, I cannot taste the difference!
Of course, Sichuan chilli oil has its distinctive Sichuan peppercorn and its numbing effects. But if we are talking about a typical salsa macha and a typical Chinese chilli oil you find at wonton restaurants, it's very similar in both taste and concept.
Why You Will Love This Salsa Recipe:
- Authentic Mexican salsa recipe - this recipe is taught to me by a lady in a small rural town in Mexico. This recipe was passed to her by her daughter from Veracruz.
- Easy - using only two ingredients to make this tasty salsa, it doesn't get easier than this!
- Stores well - because this salsa is made with oil, it preserves the salsa very well so you can store this chilli oil for months in your fridge!
- Easy Beginner recipe- the best chilli oil recipe to learn if you're just beginning your journey in the kitchen!
Ingredients to make Salsa Macha From Veracruz
Chile de árbol
A spicy Mexican red long chilli. Usually you buy it dry, not fresh. This chilli is strong in spicy level with a delicious taste of chilli.
Garlic
Fresh garlic is used in salsa. Garlic gives it that fresh and strong taste in the salsa. It's a good ingredient to partner up with the chili arbol.
Oil
We will be using cooking oil like canola or soybean to make this chilli. Macha salsa is known to be fried slightly in oil.
Recipes Using Salsa Macha
Everything tastes better and tastier using this salsa recipe!
Here are some recipes I can recommend to you that are the perfect match for this Salsa Matcha from Veracruz
Salsa Macha de Veracruz
Equipment
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 15 dried chilli arbol (chile de árbol)
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup cooking oil
Instructions
- Place a pan on the stove and heat it to medium high. Place the chilli arbol on the pan and start to toast it. Do not walk away because it burns easily. Brown the skin of the chilli until it is brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- Using a mortar and pestle, place the chilli arbol inside and start to crush and pound the chili until it start to break and tear into smaller pieces. About 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic clove and continue to pound and crush the garlic with the chilli. Another 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan on high. Heat until it is hot, but not to the point it starts to smoke.
- Put the chilli and garlic in a heat proof glass bowl and pour the hot oil on top. Stir while the oil is being poured so it doesn't burn the dried chilli. Be careful it doesn't burn you, both oil and steam. Salt to taste.
Notes
- Put the salsa in a glass jar with a lid to store it. Oil tends to absorb into plastic containers.
- This chilli oil can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 months.Â