Nourishing Mexican Mole Sauce With Sweet Potato Fries: A Healthy Valentine’s Day Treat

This Mexican Mole Sauce recipe includes a chocolate dip and healthy sweet potato fries!

Valentine's Day 2025 recipe: This Mexican mole sauce recipe and sweet potato fries dipped in chocolate to celebrate Valentine's Day. The variety of chocolate, sweet raisins and spices with rich chillies, while nuts and seeds add texture, means your taste buds have a story they will never forget. Chef Nirvaan Thacker of Blue Tribe Foods shares a fun way to serve mole sauce for Valentine's Day!

Ingredients For Mole Sauce (Makes about 4 cups)

Vegetables And Aromatics:

• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins

Spices And Seasonings:

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (preferably Mexican canela)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika, smoked
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Nuts And Seeds:

• 1/4 cup almonds (or peanuts)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 small corn tortilla or one slice of bread, toasted for thickening

Liquids & Chocolate: 1 ounce or two tablespoons of Mexican chocolate or dark bittersweet.

How To Make Mole Sauce

1. Toast and Soak the Chilies: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Transfer the chillies to a bowl, cover with hot water, and let them soak for 15 minutes until softened.
2. Saut the Vegetables and Spices for 3 4 minutes. Add the tomato, raisins and garlic. Boil for approximately 5 minutes until the tomato softens. Mix in the cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and cloves, and boil for another minute to toast the herbs.
3. Toast the Nuts, Seeds, and Bread: In another dry pan, toast the peanuts, almonds, and sesame seeds until light and aromatic. Toast the tortilla (or bread) until crisp, then set aside.
4. Blend Everything: Drain the soaked chillies and blend them with the saut ed mixture, toasted nuts, sesame seeds, tortilla (or bread), and 1 cup of broth until smooth solids for a silky texture.
5. Simmer and Add Chocolate: Stir in the Mexican chocolate (or dark chocolate), allowing it to melt into the sauce.

How To Serve This Mexican Sauce

Mole is typically served over:

1. Chicken (Pollo en Mole)
2. Enchiladas
3. Rice
4. Tacos

Sweet Potato Fries

These healthy fries add a crispy, slightly sweet contrast to the rich mole sauce. Try This out this Valentine's Day.

Ingredients:

• Fry ready-to-eat sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Instructions: Smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper sheet, ensuring they are not overcrowded and golden and crispy
• Chocolate Mole Dip: For a unique and delicious twist, turn your mole sauce into a dip to pair with the sweet potato fries.

How To Make:

• Take about 1/2 cup of the mole sauce and add two tablespoons of extra Mexican or dark chocolate.
• Stir until smooth, warming over low heat to reach a dipping consistency.
• Serve the dip with crispy sweet potato fries as an appetizer or snack!

This meal is not only delicious but filled with love, from the labour of making the mole sauce to the richness of each bite. Enjoy your Valentine's Day celebration with a perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and chocolaty goodness!