Oaxaca and Puebla, Mexico — home cooking technique for repurposing mole; the domestic counterpart to the formal mole dish
Enmoladas are enchiladas dressed in leftover mole — corn tortillas warmed and dipped in reheated mole negro or mole coloradito, filled with chicken or cheese, and served with sesame seeds, crema, and onion. They are the canonical vehicle for using leftover mole and are as important as the original mole dish in home cooking. The mole is thinned with chicken stock if necessary before coating. A typical Oaxacan or Pueblan home kitchen preparation.
All the complexity of the original mole in a more approachable format — the tortilla and filling temper the intensity
{"Leftover mole reheated with a small amount of stock to correct consistency — should be sauce-like, not paste","Tortillas must be warmed in oil before dipping — cold tortillas tear when coated in thick mole","The mole used determines the character of the enmoladas — negro produces intense, richer enmoladas; coloradito produces milder","Sesame seeds are the canonical garnish for enmoladas (as opposed to queso fresco for enfrijoladas)","Serve immediately — mole-coated tortillas dry out quickly"}
{"For mole consistency: the reheated mole should drip slowly from a spoon — like chocolate sauce","Individual serving: 2–3 enmoladas with sesame seeds, white onion julienne, and crema is the canonical portion","Enmoladas are an excellent test of mole quality — straightforward application reveals any flavour gaps","For catering: prepare all elements separately, assemble to order — enmoladas do not hold well"}
{"Using cold, unheated mole — thick and does not coat properly","Skipping tortilla warming in oil — cold tortillas crack and tear","Over-filling — enmoladas are about the mole, not the filling","Using mole that is too thick — should coat the tortilla like a sauce, not sit like a paste"}
Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico — Bricia Lopez; Mexico: The Cookbook — Margarita Carrillo Arronte