Ingredients
Tomatoes
- 6ripe tomatoes
- 2spring onions, or half a white onion
- 1or 2 green chillies, optional
Herbs
- a good bunch of coriander, chopped
- a small handful of mint leaves, chopped
Also
- juice of 1 lime
- salt
Sometimes
- a little chopped radish
- a pinch of oregano
To serve
- over grilled meat, with tortillas, or with plantain
Directions
- Set the whole tomatoes on a dry comal, a heavy pan, or directly over a flame. Turn them until the skins are blistered and blackened in patches all over. It takes eight to ten minutes and the skins should split.
- Leave the charred skins on rather than peeling them. Do not rinse them under water, which washes away the smoky juices you have just made. Mash the charred tomatoes coarsely with a fork, a wooden spoon or in a molcajete.
- Mash it rather than blending it, since chirmol should be chunky with recognisable pieces. A blender gives a smooth uniform sauce, which is a different thing and a less interesting one.
- Keep all the juice that runs out of the tomatoes as they char and mash. That juice is the body of the salsa and it should not be drained away. Use it in a smaller quantity than the coriander, since it dominates easily. Chop it just before adding it, since mint darkens and loses its scent quickly.
- Use it generously, including the tender stems, which carry as much flavour as the leaves. Add lime juice and salt to taste at the end. Use fresh lime rather than bottled, and add it off the heat. Taste it: it should be smoky, sour, herbal and salty, with the tomato leading. Season it firmly, since it is spooned over plain grilled meat and needs to season it.
- Add chilli if you want it, and know that the classic version is more about smoke and herbs than heat. Make it shortly before serving, since it is a fresh salsa rather than a preserve. It is best within a couple of hours and it goes watery overnight.
- Spoon it over grilled beef, chicken or sausage, which is its main use. It is served in a small bowl on the table for people to help themselves.
Technique
- The name comes from Nahuatl chilmulli, the same root as mole.
- Guatemalan chirmol is roasted; Honduran chismol is raw.
- Mint alongside coriander is the Guatemalan signature.
Substitutions
- Any ripe tomato, though a firm one chars better.
- White onion in place of spring onion.
Variations
- With chopped radish through it.
- Made hotter, with charred chillies.
- Made with tomatillos as well as tomatoes.
History
Guatemalan cooks char tomatoes on the comal before mashing them, a pre-Hispanic technique that survives in the Nahuatl-derived name chilmulli.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chirmol?
Chirmol is a sauce & condiment from Guatemala: roasted tomato salsa with onion, cilantro and mint, spooned over grilled meat. Guatemalan cooks char tomatoes on the comal before mashing them, a pre-Hispanic technique that survives in the Nahuatl-derived name chilmulli.
How long does Chirmol take to make?
Chirmol takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 400 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Chirmol?
Yes, within limits. Any ripe tomato, though a firm one chars better. White onion in place of spring onion.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chirmol?
Set the whole tomatoes on a dry comal, a heavy pan, or directly over a flame. Turn them until the skins are blistered and blackened in patches all over. It takes eight to ten minutes and the skins should split.
