Calabacitas – New Mexico dish

I have recently tried this New Mexico dish and I fell in love with it. So I wanted to learn how to make it myself and add it to my recipes repository.

You will need for this dish not only zucchini (like I used), but also summer squash. Instead of normal peppers like I used, you will need poblano peppers. So my recipe is far from original, but fresh and so tasty nonetheless. And so fast to make!

Calabacitas
Servings: 4
Cooking time: 15 min
Difficulty: very easy

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • few spring onions (optional)
  • 2 small-medium peppers (ideally poblano)
  • 2 zucchinis (ideally replace one with summer squash)
  • 1 cup of canned corn
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
  • 1 tsp of oregano
  • 1 tsp of paprika (ideally ancho powder)
  • chili flakes to taste
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil for frying

Directions

  1. In a medium hot pan add the olive oil and soften the onion for a few minutes.
  2. Add the diced peppers and cook them for 5 min.
  3. Add the cubed zucchini, corn and the spices: cumin powder, oregano, paprika, chili flakes, salt and pepper and mix well.
  4. Cook them for around 5-8 min. But make sure to check them so that they stay crunchy and do not get too tender.
  5. It is ready! You can eat is as is as a warm salad or as a side dish. It is great to even pack to work and top with with some extra tuna. Absolutely delicious, the combo of cumin with oregano is so refreshing! I once tried them even in a falafel salad and it was a great meal.