Recipe - Pumpkin Seed Dip (Sikil-Pak)

MAKES 1.5 CUPS
1 cup Unhulled raw pumpkin seeds
One fourth cup Hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1 Chile habanero; or any fresh
hot green chile, wiped
clean
2 md (6 ozeach) tomatoes;
broiled
1 One half teaspoon Salt; or to taste
2 tablespoon (heaping) chopped coriander
leaves
2 tablespoon (heaping) chopped chives
2/3 cup Cold water; approximately
Tortilla chips

Heat a thick frying pan or comal and toast the seeds, turning them
constantly, until the hulls are well browned and crisp (some types of seeds
will start to pop open). Add the hulled pumpkin seeds and toast for one
minute more. Set them aside to cool off. Meanwhile, toast the chile,
turning it from time to time until it is blistered and blackbrown in
spots.

Using an electric coffee/spice grinder, grind the toasted seeds, together
with the salt to a coarse powder. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

Blend the tomatoes briefly with 1/3 cup of the water. Stir into the ground
pumpkin seeds, together with the coriander, chives, and whole chile ( if
you prefer a more picante dish, blend the chile with the tomatoes before
mixing them with the seeds).

Serve it at room temperature, as a dip. The mixture should have the
consistency of mayonnaise. If it is too thick, you may have to add a little
more water to dilute it.

Notes: MENU: 1Begin your meal with an ancient Mayan dish of Sikilp'ak, a
pumpkin seed dip to be served with crispfried or toasted tortillas.

Recipe by: Mexican Regional Cooking by Diana Kennedy Recipe by "Pillsbury
Kitchens' Family Cookbook" 1979 edition
Posted to MCRecipe Digest by KitPATh phannema@wizard.ucr.edu on Feb 17,
1998