Pepián de verduras

Step 1: Heat a dry heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. Char 4 ripe tomatoes, 4 tomatillos, 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic, turning, for 10–12 minutes until blistered and black in patches. Peel the garlic.

Step 2: Lower the heat to medium. Toast 2 dried guajillo chillies and 1 dried pasilla or ancho chilli for 20–30 seconds per side until they smell smoky and turn pliable, then soak in hot water for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Toast 1 ⅜ oz pumpkin seeds until they pop and puff, then tip out; toast 1 oz sesame seeds and 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick for 1–2 minutes until golden and fragrant. Toast 1 slice stale bread or corn tortilla until crisp. Common mistake: toasting all the seeds together; the sesame burns before the pumpkin seeds are done.

Step 4: Blend the charred vegetables, drained chillies, seeds, cinnamon and bread with 250 ml of 2 ½ cups vegetable stock until very smooth.

Step 5: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Pour in the sauce, standing back as it spits, and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens a shade and thickens.

Step 6: Add the rest of the stock, 10 ½ oz potatoes and 2 carrots. Simmer, partly covered, for 10 minutes.

Step 7: Add 1 chayote and 5 ½ oz green beans and cook for 12–15 minutes more until all the vegetables are tender and the sauce coats a spoon. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick. Season with 1 tsp salt.

Step 8: Stir in half of 1 small bunch fresh coriander and scatter the rest on top. Serve with rice and tortillas.