Cumin Baked Tortilla Chips and Pumpkin Seed Salsa

Cumin Baked Tortilla Chips and Pumpkin Seed Salsa

Whether you’re sharing an intimate meal or gathering to gab at a party, chips and salsa are great for passing around and heating things up—especially when you made them yourself. This spicy salsa, thick with the richness of pepitas, was inspired by a recipe from The Little Mexican Cooking School.

Cumin Baked Tortilla Chips and Pumpkin Seed Salsa



Yield: 4 servings


Cook Time: 45 minutes


Ingredients:

  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 2 serrano chiles
  • 1 poblano chile
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Ground cumin, to taste
  • 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat a dry skillet or comal over high.
  2. Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chiles in dry pan and allow to roast. As skin blisters, use tongs to rotate vegetables, charring all sides. This can take up to 20 minutes, so if you’re a multi-tasker, skip to the next step in the meantime—but be sure not to burn, which will make your salsa bitter.
  3. Drizzle each tortilla liberally with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and cumin, and rub each side to coat well with your fingers. Stack tortillas and cut into eighths. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. To maximize space, try alternating triangles in an up/down pattern so that the edges fit together in a row.
  4. Place your chips in the oven to bake as you begin to mix the salsa, and they should be ready at close to the same time. Bake 6 to 7 minutes; remove pan, flip chips, and return to oven an additional 6 to 7 minutes, until golden brown.
  5. To make the salsa, place the chiles in a sealed plastic bag to sweat for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the pumpkin seeds into a blender or food processor and grind until fine. Peel the garlic cloves and add to the food processor with the onion and lime juice.
  6. Run tomatoes and chiles under cold water to remove their skins; add to garlic mixture. Pulse until well combined but chunky, then add oregano and cilantro. Pulse again until herbs are mixed throughout. Remove lid and scrape sides with a rubber spatula, if needed, to incorporate ground seeds and herbs.
  7. Garnish salsa with chopped fresh herbs and serve warm. It will also keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for several days and can be enjoyed cold.