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Cuaresma Pepita Pipián with Dried Charales

Name: Cuaresma Pepita Pipián with Dried Charales
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200 g Pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 3 chiles Guajillo chilli; 2 Tomato; 1 piece White onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 sprigs Epazote; 2 tbsp Lard; 1 tsp Salt; 8 Corn tortillas; 150 g Dried charales (small dried fish)

55 min (20 prep + 35 cook) Medium 4 servings Puebla

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Green pumpkin seed pipián with dried charales, a traditional Pueblan Lenten vigil stew for Holy Week.

About this recipe

A green pipián made with toasted pumpkin seeds and dried charales — tiny freshwater fish — this is a traditional Lenten vigil dish from Puebla. The toasted pumpkin seed paste forms a rich, thick sauce that envelopes the crispy dried fish, creating a unique contrast of textures. This stew represents the creativity of Mexican Cuaresma (Lent) cooking, where humble ingredients are transformed into dishes full of flavour and tradition.

History & Origin

Pipián is one of the oldest sauces in Mexican cuisine, predating the arrival of the Spanish. Its name comes from Nahuatl and refers to the pumpkin seeds (pepitas) that form its base. Mesoamerican peoples were already making these seed-based moles centuries before the conquest, incorporating whatever ingredients were available in each region: pepitas, tomatoes, chillies, and aromatic herbs like epazote. In Puebla, pipián took on a special role in the Lenten kitchen. During the forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, the Catholic tradition of abstaining from red meat on Fridays — and in many Pueblan homes, Wednesdays too — transformed the regional cuisine into an art of creative austerity. Pipián became the perfect vehicle for incorporating freshwater proteins like charales. Charales are tiny freshwater fish caught in the lakes of the Mexican highlands, particularly in Michoacán and Jalisco. Sun-dried, they keep for months and were transported to markets throughout the interior of the country, reaching Puebla, Tlaxcala, and the State of Mexico. In the vigil kitchen, dried charales contribute an intense, salty flavour that perfectly complements the richness of the toasted pepita. This dish is quintessentially a market and home stew: humble in its ingredients, extraordinary in its result. Pueblan grandmothers prepare it on Good Friday with a devotion that blends the religious and the culinary. The combination of toasted green pepita, guajillo chilli, and crispy charales is an experience that encapsulates centuries of gastronomic culture from central Mexico. Today, outside Mexico, this pipián is a beautiful way to connect with the most authentic Lenten cooking, using ingredients that are increasingly available in specialist Latin American shops across Spain and Europe.

Estimated cost

£7.00

Total cost

£1.75

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

320

Calories

18g

Protein

14g

Carbohydrates

22g

Fat

4.5g

Fibre

520mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry comal or frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden and beginning to pop, about 5–7 minutes. Leave to cool slightly.
💡 Keep a close eye on them: pepitas burn quickly. The colour should be golden, not dark.
2
Blend the toasted pepitas in a blender or food processor until you have a fine paste. Set aside.
💡 If the blender struggles, add one or two tablespoons of water to help it along.
3
Open the guajillo chillies and remove the seeds and veins. Toast them briefly on the comal for 20 seconds per side, then soak in hot water for 15 minutes until softened.
💡 Don't over-toast them or they will turn bitter. They should just change colour slightly.
4
Blend the drained guajillo chillies, tomatoes, onion, and garlic with a little of the soaking water until you have a smooth sauce.
5
Heat the lard in a wide casserole over medium-high heat. Strain and fry the guajillo chilli sauce, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until it changes colour and thickens slightly.
💡 Watch out for splashes when straining the sauce into the hot lard.
6
Add the pepita paste to the casserole and mix well with the sauce. Add 2 cups of water and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
💡 The sauce should be thick but pourable, like a cream. If too thick, add more water.
7
Add the whole dried charales to the pipián along with the fresh epazote. Season with salt. Cook for a further 5–8 minutes over low heat so the charales absorb the sauce and soften slightly.
💡 The charales will add their salty flavour to the stew, so taste before adding more salt.
8
Serve the pipián hot in deep bowls, accompanied by freshly warmed corn tortillas. You can garnish with a few extra toasted pepitas on top.
💡 This dish improves the next day once the flavours have settled.