Romeritos in Mole
Wild greens braised in red mole with cactus paddles, dried prawns and prawn fritters. A festive Christmas dish from Mexico City.
About this recipe
Romeritos is a traditional Christmas stew from Mexico City, made with a wild herb of the same name, cooked in red mole with nopal cactus, dried prawns and ground prawn fritters.
History & Origin
Romeritos is one of the most singular dishes in Mexican cuisine, a stew that combines pre-Hispanic ingredients with colonial techniques. The romerito is a quelite that grows on the chinampas of Xochimilco. This dish has a dual seasonality: consumed during Lent and at Christmas, when Catholic tradition restricts meat consumption. Dried prawns and prawn fritters provide the protein. The preparation is laborious and requires multiple steps: cleaning the romeritos leaf by leaf, preparing fritters from ground dried prawns with beaten egg, cooking the nopal cactus and preparing the mole. In Mexico City, romeritos are as emblematic of Christmas as salt cod and tamales. They are sold in markets during November and December. It is a dish that few people outside the capital know, which makes it even more special for capitalinos.
Estimated cost
£56.68
Total cost
£7.08
Per serving
* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets
Nutritional information per serving
310
Calories
18g
Protein
28g
Carbohydrates
16g
Fat
5g
Fibre
680mg
Sodium
* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.
Method
- 1
Limpia the romeritos retirando the leaves marchitas and the tallos gruesos. Wash them very well in varias aguas.
- 2
Cook the romeritos in water with salt for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- 3
Cook the cactus paddles in water with salt, onion and garlic until tender. Rinse for retirar the baba and drain. Cook the potatoes peladas and cut into cubes.
- 4
For the fritters: grind half of the dried prawns in a blender. Separate the egg whites and beat them to stiff peaks. Fold in the yolks and the ground prawns. Shape into fritters and fry in hot oil until golden.
💡 The fritters should be fluffy; do not compress the mixture too much.
- 5
Dissolve the pasta of mole in the hot chicken stock, revolviendo well. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes until thickened.
- 6
Add to the mole the romeritos cocidos, the cactus paddles, the potatoes, the prawns dried enteros remaining and the tortitas of prawn.
- 7
Cook all junto over low heat 10 minutes for that the flavours integren. Serve hot with tortillas.
Have you tried this recipe?
Tell us how it turned out. Your feedback helps other cooks.
Leave a reviewRate this recipe
Founder, Recetas Mexas
Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.
Read moreRelated Recipes
Pork Loin in Prune and Chilli Sauce
Roasted pork loin with sweet and sour prune and ancho chilli sauce.
Chicken in Pipián with Chayote
Chicken in green pumpkin seed pipián sauce with tender chayote squash.
Aporreado de Carne Seca (Michoacán-Style Pounded Dried Beef with Eggs)
Michoacán pounded dried beef stew with eggs and green chilli.
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Texan layered casserole of tortillas, shredded chicken, melted cheddar and chilli sauce.
Related Guides
Learn more about these ingredients and dishes
Enjoyed this?
Follow on TikTok for Mexican recipe & restaurant videos, and get updates by email.