Chile Japones Salsa is a traditional Mexican recipe for a classic salsa or sauce made from chiles japones that are toasted and blended with tomato sauce and garlic. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Mexican version of: Chile Japones Salsa.
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Chile Japones, or Japanese pepper, has a fascinating history in Mexico. Today it is a staple in Mexican and Asian cuisines, commonly used in salsas, sauces, condiments, and stir fries. This chile japones salsa is spicy, easy to make, and delicious on beef tacos.
Ingredients:
40 dry japones chillies
375ml water
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
115g tomato sauce (up to 225g total, if desired)
Method:
Lightly toast the dried chiles on a comal or large flat pan over low-medium heat. Using tongs, move and turn frequently to avoid burning. Once the chillies begin to release their aroma and become slightly darker in colour, remove from heat and turn out onto a plate to cool.
Blend together the toasted chiles and raw garlic cloves with 250ml of water in a blender using the medium setting until somewhat smooth in texture. You want to still be able to see the seeds, but avoid having chunks of chilli or garlic in the salsa. It should not look be processed to a purée.
Transfer the chilli mixture to a medium-sized jar. Very lightly rinse blender with remaining 125ml water to wash the residual chilli from the blender and add this chilli-water mixture to the jar as well.
Add tomato sauce and salt. Cover and shake the jar vigorously until well mixed.
Taste and adjust salt. If necessary, add small amounts of water and additional tomato sauce until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. This salsa should be light in texture, but not watery.
