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You are here: Home » Basic Recipes

Guaxmole or Huaxmole Recipe

Published: Sep 4, 2012 · Updated: Aug 22, 2019 by Mely Martínez

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Mexican Heritage Month Guest Post:  Our first Guest of this Mexican Heritage Month is Carmen Mendoza. In this post Carmen shows the use of tree seeds in México to create the recipe for this sauce in a recipe for pork but that it can also be used to make enchiladas.

Guaxmole or Huaxmole

Guaxmole or Huaxmole | Cook all your favorite dishes


“I don’t fool around with guajes”.
In Spanish, “hacerse guaje” (lit: “to make oneself guaje”) is to pretend to be the fool or act dumb. But for now, we need not get confused with two similar words that have different meanings.

Guaxmole or Huaxmole | Mexican Recipes

Guaxmole (also known as “huaxmole” or “mole de guaje”) is a dish that is prepared with guaje seeds (pronounced “goo-ah-heh”), which are also known as huaxin, cacalas, or cascalhuite. Guaje seeds are eaten in many ways, including dried, cooked, raw, or roasted. In its preparations it is used to add consistency to stews and cooked dishes.

Guaxmole or Huaxmole | Authentic Mexican Food RecipesGuaxmole or Huaxmole | easy and with excellent results

Huaxmolli comes from the Náhuatl words “huaxin” (guaje) and “molli” (stew/cooked dish). This is the guaje tree native to México.

The guaje used to make guaxmole comes from a tree that is not very good looking, but is still a source of foods for birds and humans alike. One can still see flocks of birds perched up on these trees peeling the pods away in order to eat the seeds.

I have also seen some people gather them in order to sell them in the markets as a source of income. Guajes pods are among the foods that were gathered by the ancient Mexicans, along with wild mushrooms and colorín flowers.

Guaxmole or Huaxmole | an easy to follow detailed tutorial to make your own sauce.Guaxmole or Huaxmole | enjoy this traditional recipe with a step by step photo tutorial.

It is not to be confused with the other type of guaje (gourd) like in the above pictures Lagenaria Siceraria that is also known as “bule” or “jícaro”. This one is from the squash family and is probably of African origin. It is mostly used to transport water, to extract the sap from the maguey plant, and for ornamental use.

Now to the recipe:

How to make Guaxmole or Huaxmole

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions:

  • In a medium-size pot, barely cover the meat with water, add the onion and salt and cook over low heat until it is half cooked. Drain meat and save the broth. (Please check the ingredients list below)
  • Blend the tomatoes with garlic and onion in a blender until you have a smooth puree.
  • In a skillet heat the lard and sauté the meat. Top with tomato sauce and cook over fairly high heat about 10 minutes, until it is well cooked and reduce slightly.
  • Puree chiles with a cup of broth until mixture is kept smooth. Gradually add the guaje seeds and blend until mixture is smooth. Add it to the pan along with another cup of broth, cilantro, and salt to taste and simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, about 45 minutes. The sauce should have a medium consistency, add more broth or water if you need to dilute it.
Guaxmole or Huaxmole | Cook all your favorite dishes

Buen Provecho!

Mely,

The make the Huaxmole Enchiladas prepare the sauce as directed and follow the instructions of the Enfrijoladas to form them.

Carmen

By Guest Author: Carmen Mendoza describes herself as a person with an Adventurous palate, an irreverent mystic, a generous cook, a virtuous friend, a hydroponic gardener and an environmentalist by religion. I would also add Ancient Mexican Food Promoter.  If you would like to know more about her visit her Blog at “Saborearte Entusiasma”

Guaxmole or Huaxmole

Mely Martínez
Guaxmole or huaxmole is a dish that is prepared with guaje seeds (pronounced “goo-ah-heh”), which are also known as huaxin, cacalas, or cascalhuite. Guaje seeds are eaten in many ways, including dried, cooked, raw, or roasted.
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
0 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Basic Recipes
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 servings
Calories 696 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Lb. pork ribs cut into small pieces
  • ⅓ white onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 Lb. coarsely chopped tomatoes
  • ⅓ white onion coarsely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons lard
  • 10 oz. guaje seeds See note for substitution recommendation
  • 6 serrano peppers more or less to your taste.
  • 6 large cilantro springs
  • 8 corn tortillas

Instructions
 

  • In a medium size pot, barely cover the meat with water, add the onion and salt and cook over low heat until it is half cooked. Drain meat and save the broth.
  • Blend the tomatoes with garlic and onion in a blender until you have a smooth pure.
  • In a skillet heat the lard and sauté the meat. Top with tomato sauce and cook over fairly high heat about 10 minutes, until it is well cooked and reduce slightly.
  • Puree chiles with a cup of broth until mixture is kept smooth. Gradually add the guaje seeds and blend until mixture is smooth. Add it to the pan along with another cup of broth, cilantro and salt to taste and simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, about 45 minutes. The sauce should have a medium consistency, add more broth or water if you need to dilute it.

Notes

Since these seeds are note available everywhere you can substitute them for pumpkin seeds. But then it will be called Pipian.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 696kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 45gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 134mgPotassium: 1271mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1225IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 8mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chris

    September 08, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    These reminded me of the enfrijoladas as soon as I saw the first picture. This looks really good and I love anything with pork:)

    Reply
  2. Lori

    September 06, 2012 at 7:25 pm

    It has been way too long since I visited your blog- I have a lot to catch up on!

    Reply
  3. Kristen McIntyre

    September 06, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    This seeds is very common in our country.You may find it anywhere especially in provinces.
    The tree is very common and just a usual tree.Many never knew the health benefits it may give.

    Reply
  4. Prieta

    September 06, 2012 at 3:06 am

    El guante me trae recuerdos de mi padre. A él le gustaba la salsa de molcajete con guajes y un molito como el de Carmen. Que bonito post Mely, me gusta como le haces proyección a nuestra comida mexicana y nuestros bloqueos mexicanos también. Besos.

    Reply
  5. Carmen

    September 06, 2012 at 2:06 am

    Mely querida, qué bien que haces estas entradas en homenaje a nuestro querido país. Yo te aprecio el trabajo de traducirlo.

    Y de verdad es un platillo excelente, no se lo deben perder.
    Abrazos

    Reply
  6. NORMA RUIZ

    September 05, 2012 at 3:34 am

    Que bonita entrada Mely, me ha traido tantos recuerdos esos guajes a mi padre (q.e.d.)le encantaban teníamos un árbol en casa y siempre los comiamos acompañando simplemente una tortillita caliente y cebollita rebanada con sal, que delicia mis recuerdos de la infancia, esta forma de utilizarlos me ha encantado seguro en cuanto encuentre la pruebo, saludos cariñosos.

    Reply
  7. Pily

    September 04, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    Cómo me llama la atención éste platillo de Carmen!! me gusta mucho cómo cocina y nos enseña verdadera cocina mexicana!!!
    Qué rico, aunque nunca lohe probado 😀
    Saludos Mely y gracias Carmen!

    Reply
  8. Nammi

    September 04, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    Have to agree with Swathi, I love learning about new recipes from other countries. Love that bright green colour of that seed 🙂

    Reply
  9. Swathi Iyer

    September 04, 2012 at 3:47 am

    Thanks for introducing guaje seeds Mely and Carmen. I like traditional recipes like this.

    Reply
  10. Ruth S. Macotela

    September 04, 2012 at 1:10 am

    Whax is that?! jajaja... Como siempre muchas gracias Mely por compartir tus geniales recetas. Gracias por servir de intermediaria y asi poder conocer a tan lindas personas a travez de tu sitio.

    Nunca habia visto esta semilla en mi vida, pero ahora que tenga la oportunidad ya no me quedare con cara de "whax" 🙂

    Saludos!
    xo

    Reply
    • Mely

      September 04, 2012 at 1:25 am

      Jajaja! That was funny! I am glad you liked Carmen's post. she is always writing very interesting things in her blog.

      Mely

      Reply

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Mexico in my kitchen | Mely Martinez

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.

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