Listen to Lila Downs's La Cumbia del Mole and you will not only get a hint of the chili-grinding required to make Mole - one of the world's must mmmmmm sauces - you'll also get a little hint about grinding of another kind. 'Nuff said.

Downs is an international star hailing from Oaxaca, Mexico, and we're happy to say that we will have a Q&A with the artist soon. 

Meanwhile, Downs provides us with a great reason to check out the wonderful sauce  mole. Oaxaca is particularly famed for its variety of moles; in fact it's known as "the Land of the Seven Moles." 

If you go to the city of Oaxaca, you'll find the full range of places to stuff your face delicately savour mole, from cheap-and-cheerful to fantastic high-end places, the kind that are hidden in one of Oaxaca's many interior courtyards, away from the steady hum of traffic. (Likely with a trickling fountain and musicians serenading you while truly mouth-watering Oaxacan food is served. A little Mezcal doesn't go amiss, either.)

In case you want to start exploring Oaxaca right now, have a look at Oaxaca's Tourist Guide, The Lonely Planet's Oaxaca guide, or Tom Zap's Oaxaca Guide.

Or just get right to the music...and the food. If you'd like to make mole, I can think of no better soundtrack than any of Lila Downs's recordings — you'll find the song from the video above, La Cumbia Del Mole, on her album, Cantina, in English and Spanish no less.

Of course, there are many disputes over the correct way to make mole, and the billions of ingredients needed. So that's the disclaimer here. This is a (relatively) easy mole recipe to try.

EASY(ish) MOLE

3 tbsp. cooking oil

8 chicken pieces

1 chopped onion

1 seeded diced green pepper

1 seeded diced poblano pepper

3 chopped garlic cloves

2 tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 can (14 oz.) undrained tomatoes

1/4 cup raisins

2 chipotle peppers

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup dark beer

2 tbsp. peanut butter

2 tbsp. suger

1 tsp. salt

2 squares unsweetend baking chocolate (Oaxacan chocolate is AMAZING, btw)

 COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil over medium heat and brown chicken.

Sautee onion, bell pepper, poblano pepper and garlic; cook until soft.

Add chili powder, cumin and cinnamon and cook for three minutes.

Add tomatoes, raisins, chipotle peppers, chicken broth, beer, peanut butter, sugar and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Blend sauce in food processor or blender with chocolate, until smooooootthhhh.

Move chicken into a large pot and cover with sauce. Cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes

Serve with rice; say "mmmmmmm...."

Are there any perfect food/world music pairings you'd like to suggest? Let us know in the comments below, and we'll put them on the blog.

Related Links:

Watch "El Palomo del Comalito" from Lila Downs's new recording, Pecados y Milagros (Sins and Miracles).

Watch Mexican-Canadian band Locarno in performance

Watch Lila Downs sing the classic, "La Llorona"

 

posted by Li Robbins on Feb 07, 2012