Valentine’s Day Recipe: Vegan Mole

This recipe is sure to bring your Valentines back to life.

By Lucy Purkis Charters

Valentine’s Day is a bit different this year. For some couples out there, you might be locked down in separate houses and unable to see each other outside of a Zoom call. Others might be lucky enough to be living with their partner (if this is you I’m very jealous).

Regardless of your situation, whether you’re single and locked down with family or housemates, in a relationship either with or without your partner, I hope you enjoy this recipe for a vegan mole, a Mexican dish with a secret ingredient: chocolate. 

The recipe makes quite a lot, so feel free to cook for yourself, your partner, or any housemates and/or family you think would enjoy it! Also if you want some inspiration for some tasty Valentine’s Day sweet treats, check out Georgia’s article here. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion
  • 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped finely
  • 1tsp cumin
  • 0.5tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1tsp mild chilli powder
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 (large) sweet potato, cut into chunks
  • 1 tin of tomatoes
  • 1 tin of kidney beans
  • 1 bar of dark chocolate (I used 85%)
  • A couple of bay leaves (optional)
  • 1 tin of sweetcorn
  • Half a lime (optional)
  • Fresh coriander (optional)
  • Rice (optional)

Method:

  1. Put a glug of olive oil in a large frying pan, on medium heat. Add the onion, chopped finely, and let it cook slightly, not browning.
  2. Add the garlic, a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and a teaspoon of the mild chilli powder (the chilli powder and cayenne pepper can be adjusted for taste – this would create quite a mild version, I added a bit more cayenne pepper because I prefer it to be a bit hotter, but this is up to you).
  3. Add the sweet potato and red pepper. Mix well, then add the tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, bay leaves, and dark chocolate. The chocolate can be to taste as well, start off with two or three blocks of it, but feel free to add more later if you think it needs it. 
  4. Let the dish simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potato is cooked and the sauce has thickened. At this point add the sweetcorn, mix well, then serve with a squeeze of lime, some fresh coriander, and rice. Enjoy!