This dish, and other similiar chicken and amaranth combinations, is also called mole de amaranto and tinga de pollo con amaranto, depending on the part of the country where it is found. Despite its different regional names, the dish always contains chipotle chiles.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breast halves, salted to taste
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 2 large white onions, peeled and cut into thin half-moons
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup amaranth leaves, or small, young spinach leaves, cut into thin strips
- 1/2 lb. tomatoes, seeded and peeled
- 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
- 1 cup popped amaranth (amaranth cereal) lightly toasted on a comal or griddle
- 1 1/2 cups well-seasoned chicken broth
Wash the chicken pieces and pat them dry.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the chicken until just golden brown on both sides.
Remove to a platter, add the onions, garlic and amaranth leaves to the skillet, and saute until the onion slices are transparent.
Place the tomatoes, chipotles, popped amaranth, and chicken broth in the blender, and puree.
Add the puree to the ingredients in the skillet and cook 10 minutes.
Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is just done.
Serve some sauce over each piece of chicken and adorn with a sprinkle of additional popped amaranth, untoasted, if desired.
Serves 4.
Mexico’s grain of the gods: Cooking with amaranth
