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Try Gurdeep Loyal's pinto bean and salsa macha dip, then discover our best easy dip recipes, tomato salsa and charred chilli salsa.

Salsa macha is a Mexican crushed chilli paste that can include dried chillies, peanuts, spices and seeds, garlic and agave syrup. It has an intensely smoky, fruity flavour and is a great condiment for tacos, or add to marinades or spoon over scrambled eggs. It’s an ingredient loved by chefs, such as Karla Zazueta of the blog Mexican Food Memories, and Gabriel Pryce at Rita’s in Soho. It's also found on the menus of restaurants such as Casa Pastor and Kol. Here, it’s rippled into a creamy pinto bean dip that’s great for picnics or barbecues. Brands such as Luchito, Cool Chile and Natoora all sell blends of salsa macha, available at Ocado.


Pinto bean and salsa macha dip recipe

  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 onion
    finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves
    minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 x 480g tins of pinto beans
    drained
  • 2 tbsp soured cream
  • pinch of sugar
  • 3 tbsp salsa macha
    (such as Luchito)
  • thumb-sized piece of ginger
    peeled and minced
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
    plus 1 tsp of zest
  • 10g coriander
    finely chopped
  • corn tortillas
    to serve

Nutrition:

  • kcal160
  • fat9g
  • saturates1.3g
  • carbs12.6g
  • sugars2.9g
  • fibre4g
  • protein5.2g
  • salt1g

Method

  • step 1

    Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat, then gently sizzle the onions for 6-7 mins, or until they turn soft and translucent.

  • step 2

    Add the garlic and cumin, warming through for 1 min, before adding the beans. Stir well, warming through the beans and coating them in the spices.

  • step 3

    Empty the mixture into a blender along with the soured cream, ¾ tsp of fine sea salt and a pinch of sugar. Whizz to a fine paste, adding a splash of water if needed to get a creamy consistency. Empty into a serving bowl.

  • step 4

    In another bowl, mix together the salsa macha, ginger, lime juice and zest, and coriander. Ripple the citrussy salsa mixture through the dip. Serve with corn tortilla chips and ice-cold beers.

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