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Pepián

Name: Pepián
Total time: 120 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Guatemala
Ingredients: 800g Chicken Thigh; 50g Pumpkin seeds; 3 tbsp White Sesame Seeds; 4 Tomato; 3 Tomatillos; 1 Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 3 Red Chili Pepper; 1 Cinnamon stick; 3 Potato; 10 Green beans; 2 tsp Salt; To taste Corn Tortillas

Main Dish

⏱ 120 min

👥 Serves 6

Difficulty ⭐⭐

Chicken and vegetables stewed in a sauce of toasted seeds, chilies, and tomato — Guatemala's national dish.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Pepián is considered Guatemala's national dish, born from the fusion of Maya and Spanish food cultures. Pumpkin seeds, sesame, dried chilies, tomatoes, and tomatillos are toasted and ground into a rich sauce, and chicken, potatoes, chayote, and more are stewed in it. It's eaten with rice, tortillas, and tamalitos (little tamales).

🌆 Where it's eaten: In the courtyard of an old house in Antigua, a big pot of pepián is brought out for Sunday lunch as the family wraps the stew in tortillas.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 6)

Chicken Thigh 800g
Pumpkin seeds 50g
White Sesame Seeds 3 tbsp
Tomato 4
Tomatillos 3
Onion 1
Garlic 3 cloves
Red Chili Pepper 3
Cinnamon stick 1
Potato 3
Green beans 10
Salt 2 tsp
Corn Tortillas To taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Simmer the chicken in 1L salted water for 30 minutes to make broth.
Dry-toast the pumpkin seeds, sesame, red chilies, and cinnamon in a frying pan until fragrant.
Char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic too.
Blend the toasted ingredients, charred vegetables, and a little broth into a sauce.
Put the sauce, chicken, and broth in a pot, add the potatoes and green beans, and simmer 30 minutes.
Season with salt and serve with rice and tortillas.

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