Pepián (Guatemalan Pumpkin-Seed & Chili Stew) 🎃

Name: Pepián (Guatemalan Pumpkin-Seed & Chili Stew)
Prep time: 48 min
Cook time: 72 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 2-4 servings
Cuisine: Guatemalan
Ingredients: 1 kg chicken pieces (or pork), bone in; 4 dried guajillo or pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded; 1 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted; 6 tomatillos or 2 tomatoes, roasted; 1 white onion, 4 garlic cloves, charred; 1 bunch cilantro; 2 sprigs mint (green version); 2 potatoes and 2 carrots; chunked; 1/2 small cabbage if you like; 1/4 cup sesame seeds; toasted; salt; a pinch of cumin and pepper; 2 tbsp oil; water or stock to cover

Guatemala's most pre-Columbian plate in a pot: meat and vegetables braised in a sauce thickened with roasted pumpkin seeds and toasted dried chilies, finished with sesame. Pepián rides two traditions at once — Maya pepián with squash seeds and chili, Spanish colonial stew technique — and every region argues about its version. The green Guatemala City style gets its color from tomatillos and cilantro; the red (rojo) from guajillo and pasilla. Whatever the shade, the test is the same: sauce that coats a potato without sliding off, and a taste where no single chili shouts.

Central America Guatemalan ⏱ 120 min Medium

Method

1

Toast the dried chilies in dry oil for 30 seconds per side — do not burn. Soak in hot water 20 minutes until pliable.
2

Roast tomatillos, onion and garlic on a comal or under a broiler until spottily black; peel if needed.
3

Blend the soaked chilies, roasted vegetables, toasted pumpkin seeds and a ladle of cooking liquid to a thick, slightly grainy paste. For green pepián, add cilantro and mint here; for rojo, skip them.
4

Fry the paste in oil over medium heat 5-8 minutes, stirring — it should darken and smell nutty, not raw. Season with salt, cumin and pepper.
5

Add the meat, coat well, cover with water or stock and simmer 40 minutes. Skim as needed.
6

Add potatoes, carrots (and cabbage if using); simmer another 25-30 minutes until vegetables yield and the sauce clings to the back of a spoon.
7

Finish with toasted sesame. Serve with rice or, more traditionally, with fresh corn tortillas to scoop.

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