Pepian
During my recently travel to Guatemala, I tried Pepian, the national dish of Guatemala. This is a super nutty, thick stew, with your meat of choice. The flavors are bold and truly embody Mayan Culture. Making this dish is a labor of love- from toasting the seeds & spices to blending the sauce with a tortilla to give it a bit of body (the thickness). It’s most commonly made with chicken, however, I did see a few restaurants featuring the dish with beef and pork. Try this dish, and feel the culinary traditions of the Mayans.
Pepian
National dish of Guatemala
Ingredients
- 2 chicken leg quarters skinless, and separated at the joint
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 3 tomatillos
- 2 tortillas
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp Pretty Girls Eat Too All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp green seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 guajillo chiles
- 2 chiles de arbol
- 1/2 potato peeled and halved
- 3 oz slice of pumpkin
- 5 oz green beans
Instructions
- Roast tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, and chiles until charred. Peel off any charred bits and set aside. Toast tortilla until golden color. Set aside as well.
- To a pan on medium heat, toast pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and cinnamon stick. Remove once sesame seeds are golden.
- To a Dutch oven or deep pan, add in chicken broth, chicken leg quarters, and all purpose seasoning. Allow to come to a boil.
- To a blender, add roasted vegetables, tortilla, and toasted seeds and spices along with 2-3 ladles of chicken broth. Blend until smooth.
- Add blended mixture into the chicken and chicken broth along with root vegetables. Allow to simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with white rice, tortilla, and avocado. Enjoy.
