Chile en nogada: history and recipe of a traditional dish

Photo by Velas Vallarta

Undoubtedly, chile en nogada is the most emblematic dish of traditional Mexican cuisine, as it is used to celebrate Mexico’s Independence due to its green, white, and red colors, representing the Mexican flag. This Mexican dish traditionally consists of a stuffed poblano pepper covered in nogada — a sauce made from walnuts, cream, cheese, and sherry — and garnished with pomegranate seeds.
Discover the recipe and history of this iconic dish, made with poblano peppers, one of the mildest varieties, grown in the states of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Durango, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, and Puebla.

Over time, the original chile en nogada recipe has undergone many adaptations, and today, there is a wide variety of recipes and experiences inspired by this iconic dish.

Peek into the origin of chiles en nogada

The origin of this dish dates back to 1714, but it was not until almost a century later, in August 1821, that it became popular. The story says that at the time Agustín de Iturbide took command of the Trigarante Army —with their tricolored flag that represented the three guarantees: religion, union, and independence, the inhabitants of the capital of the state of Puebla offered a banquet for him, featuring this exquisite local dish.

Over time, the original chile en nogada recipe has undergone many adaptations, and today, there is a wide variety of recipes and experiences inspired by this iconic dish.

Photos by Vela Vallarta

Nogada Festival: tradition and innovation

To strengthen its commitment to preserving the essence of Mexican culture, Velas Vallarta has reinvented the classic nogada sauce to offer a limited-time celebration of gastronomy, mixology, and wellness: the Nogada Festival.

Velas Vallarta embraced the culinary tradition of nogada with six new dishes on its menu, available for a limited time. From savory options like tamales, enchiladas, pizza, and pellizcadas (a delightful “sope”-style treat) to sweet creations like crepes and ice cream, the resort used the ingredients of nogada as inspiration. Beyond these dishes, mixology shines with the exclusive Dragon Ball cocktail, made with pomegranate liqueur, dragon fruit, pickle juice, gin, tonic water, and fresh pomegranate.

Additionally, AMET Spa at Velas Vallarta harnessed the benefits of pomegranate to offer a massage incorporating fresh juice and seeds, combined with expert techniques, for a rejuvenating and transformative experience. Pomegranates contain one of the most potent antioxidants, proven to repair oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and eliminate dead skin cells.

Photos by Velas Vallarta

Recipe to enjoy chile de nogada at home

If, on the other hand, you’d like to recreate the delicious taste of chiles en nogada, here is a special recipe so you can treat your family with the flavors of one of the most representative dishes of Mexico and its Independence festivities.

Ingredients:
25 pcs. Poblano chile ready to fill

For the picadillo (ground meat):

• ¾ cup corn oil
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 cup onion finely chopped
• 1 kg of ground pork
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 cup of water
• 1 kg of tomato liquefied and strained
• ½ cup of peeled almonds
• ¾ tz. chopped black raisins
• 20 pcs. green olives
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 4 pcs. cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Black pepper to taste
• 4 cups apple, diced
• 4 cups pear
• 4 cups criollo peach, diced
• 1 tbsp. of sugar
• 4 cups of plantain, diced
• 100 gr. pink pine nut peeled
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar

Procedure for the picadillo:
1. In ¼ cup of oil, fry 2 cloves of garlic until they are completely golden, and discard the garlic. Season the onion, add the meat, salt, and water, cover, and cook until the meat is tender, for approximately 5 minutes.
2. After a few minutes, uncover so that all the water evaporates and, if possible, the meat browns a little.
3. Heat another 3 tablespoons of oil in another frying pan, brown 2 garlic cloves, and discard. Season the remaining onion, add the tomato, and leave to season. Add almonds, raisins, olives, and parsley, and let the mixture season for 2 minutes.
4. Grind the cloves, cinnamon, and pepper, add the tomato, and remove the pan from the heat.
5. Add the tomato mixture to the meat, let it season for 5 minutes, and remove from the heat.
6. Add sugar and mix.
7. Separately, fry the banana until lightly browned; reserve the excess oil to fry the chilies.
8. Mix the fruits, bananas, pine nuts, and vinegar with the meat.

Ingredients for the batter:

• 12 pcs of eggs
• 1¼ cup flour
• 2 tbsp. of salt
• 2 cups. corn oil

Batter procedure:

1. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the yolks, salt, and ¼ cup of sifted flour. Mix all the ingredients well until well incorporated.
2. Flour the chiles and remove the excess.
3. Heat the oil where the bananas were cooked to the point of smoke. Dip the chilies in the egg mixture and carefully fry one by one. While the lower part is lightly browning, with a spatula, coat the upper part so that it browns evenly.
4. Drain on paper napkins to remove excess fat from the coating.
5. Keep warm and reserve.

Ingredients of the nogada:

• 1 cup peeled almonds soaked in water
• 5 cups cold water
• 400 gr. goat cheese
• 8 cups clean English or Persian walnuts, known in Mexico as nueces de Castilla

Nogada procedure:
1. Soak the almonds overnight in cold water. Refrigerate preferably.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except the water.
3. Blend, adding water as necessary. The texture must have consistency.

Photo by Freepik

Presentation:

• 2 pcs. red pomegranate shelled
• Chopped parsley for decoration

Place the battered chilies on a plate. Serve the nogada over the chilies and garnish with parsley and pomegranate.

Bon Appetite!