I didn't start out intending to make enchilada sauce with Thai chilis. I planted a bunch of different peppers this spring, but we've had a particularly odd summer season! It snowed in April and we had frost well into May. Summer didn't really seem to start until June. And then it oscillated between being swelteringly hot and dropping into the 50 degree range overnight and raining. Produce does not like tend to like this!
Rapid changes in weather patterns can be difficult on plants, who struggle under the rapid changes and can go into shock. Oftentimes the plant will leach nutrients from the leaves in order to keep the stalks alive or simply start dropping fruit. Especially with things like tomatoes or tomatillos, which oftentimes also can't hold the weight of the fruit in storms and blustering winds. Which you tend to have when there are rapid changes in weather pressure! But, for whatever reason, my Thai chilis have done wonderfully. And they're finally ripening. So, I need to find something to do with them!
My red chilis began ripening last week and I've been utilizing those in all sorts of dishes. This morning I even started a batch of Slow Cooker Black Beans w/ Calabaza Squash & Red Chilis. But now I'm left with the fortunate predicament of what to make with Thai chilis. Ordinarily I would opt for curry. I've also ended up with a Japanese eggplant and eggplant isn't terrible in curry.
Although it's almost 90 degrees out right now and I don't exactly want to be slowly simmering a pot of curry in this heat! I've also been making a lot of Mexican and and Latin American-inspired food lately, so I want something a little bit more along those lines. So, enchilada sauce it is!
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Variations of Thai Chilis Enchilada Sauce
I'm a big fan of making homemade enchilada sauce. It's a great way to utilize peppers and tomatoes ripening in the garden. It's also incredibly easy to swap out different types of produce. I'm constantly making enchilada sauce with absolutely everything that I have. Hence the Thai chili enchilada sauce today! But I have great versions of this recipe with all sorts of other types of peppers and tomatoes.
This Thai chilis enchilada sauce consists of homegrown Thai chilis and cherry tomatoes with garlic, red onion, cumin, salt, and pepper. It's a quick and easy recipe to toss together in about an hour. It has a much better flavor than most store bought salsas and hot sauces. You can also substitute any kind of peppers or tomatoes that you have on hand. The same basic instructions still apply!
Place the chilis, tomatoes, garlic, and onion in the air fryer. It can help to cut the tomatoes and onion in half and pierce the chilis with a knife so they don't burst while cooking.Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to break this up into multiple batches. I cooked the peppers and the rest of the fruits and vegetables separately. You can also substitute any other roasting method of choice. An oven or BBQ would do just fine. It's more to get a char flavor than explicitly necessary.
Cook for 7-12 minutes, or until the produce is lightly charred. The skin should begin to brown, but not entirely blacken or shrivel. You're trying to roast them, not dry them!
Let cool to the touch.
Blend
Once the produce are cool, add a food processor with 2 cups of water.
Blend until puréed completely.In my Vitamix or Cuisinart Food Processor this takes about 15-20 seconds. In another blender, this might take a minute or two.Just be careful not to inhale the mixture when you open the lid! It's quite spicy.
Cook
Add the puréed mixture to a large pot with the additional 1 cup water and the salt, pepper, and cumin.You can blend all of the water together when you puree it, but I found that it was easier to add 2/3 of the water then finish thinning it in the pot. None of this will effect cooking, though. Add as more or as little water as you need to puree the ingredients and then add the rest before cooking!
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened to the desired consistency. Make sure to stir occasionally.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. With so many hot peppers, this enchilada sauce will last a good while in the refrigerator.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
If you do air fry the vegetables for too long, don’t fret too much. You’ll still end up boiling the ingredients and they will re-hydrate. You’re pretty much okay with any amount of char as long as you don’t seriously burn them!
You can substitute any kind of pepper of choice. Even dried peppers will re-hydrate with the first simmer. If you don’t have fresh chilis or other peppers and want to use dried ones, just skip the roasting step and go straight to the first cooking stage.
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