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Rajas con crema
Puebla's roasted poblano strips with sweetcorn in cream (rajas poblanas)
Rajas means strips, and in Puebla they mean poblano chillies, the dark green pepper the state is named after, charred, peeled and sliced, then simmered with onion, sweetcorn and cream. Poblanos are mild with a grassy, gently smoky bite, so the dish is rich rather than fiery. It turns up on Puebla tables as a side for rice, as a taco filling at fondas, or in a tamal for breakfast. Some cooks melt in Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheese, which may be made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian melting cheese if needed. Chef's tip: sweat the peeled chillies in a covered bowl for 10 minutes; the steam lifts the skins off cleanly without rinsing away the smoky flavour.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Char 5 poblano chillies directly over a gas flame, under a hot grill or on a dry pan over a high heat, turning, until the skin is blackened and blistered all over, about 8 minutes.
8 minStep 2: Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes. Rub off the skins with your fingers, then remove the stems, seeds and veins and cut into strips about 1 cm wide. Common mistake: rinsing the chillies under the tap; it washes away the smoky flavour. Wipe off stubborn skin with kitchen paper instead.
10 minStep 3: Melt ⅔ oz butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 1 white onion for 6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add 1 garlic clove for 30 seconds.
7 minStep 4: Add the poblano strips and 7 oz sweetcorn kernels and cook for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 5: Stir in ¾ cup Mexican crema or crème fraîche, ¼ cup milk and ¾ tsp salt and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, until the cream thickens enough to coat the strips. Don't let it boil hard or it may split.
5 minStep 6: Scatter over 2 ⅞ oz Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese if using, cover for 2 minutes until melted, and serve hot.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rajas con crema take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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