Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Chilaquiles Verdes
430 kcal a serving, against 520 for the traditional version. That is 90 kcal off, or 17%, with 24.1g of protein. Serves 4. 35 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Stale corn tortillas cut into rough triangles and deep-fried in a vat of vegetable oil until golden. Tossed in a simmering salsa verde made from boiled tomatillos, white onion and jalapenos. Served immediately, heavily dressed with thick soured cream, a large handful of crumbled queso fresco, fresh coriander and 1 fried egg.
What changed, and what each change costs
36g of absorbed frying oil and the deep-frying process swapped for dry oven-baking
Frying turns a simple corn flatbread into a massive vehicle for fat. Baking them at a high heat drives out the moisture and makes them crisp enough to stand up to the salsa, saving a huge amount of fat.
What it costs you. Baked chips lack the rich, shattering crunch of fried ones. They turn chewy a bit faster once they hit the wet sauce. It's the first compromise you'll notice when you dig in.
100g of soured cream swapped for 100g of fat-free Greek yoghurt, and the queso fresco halved
Soured cream is essentially liquid fat. Greek yoghurt gives you the same sharp tang and creamy contrast against the spicy salsa, but brings a solid hit of protein instead. Cutting the cheese back just stops it overwhelming the plate.
What it costs you. Yoghurt doesn't melt into the hot sauce the way cream does. It stays separate, and you miss a bit of the luxurious mouthfeel that real cream provides.
200g of whole eggs increased to 400g
To make this a serious meal rather than a heavy snack, you need more substance. 2 eggs per person does the job perfectly, giving you the fuel required to justify this as a main course.
What it costs you. None at all. A runny yolk mixing with green salsa is brilliant, and having twice as much of it is only a good thing.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 520 | 430 |
| Protein | 18.4g | 24.1g |
| Fat | 29.4g | 16.6g |
| Saturated fat | 10.1g | 5.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 48.4g | 48g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.5g | 5.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
This is a magnificent plate of food. You end up with a sharp, satisfying dish you can eat on a Tuesday morning without needing a nap afterwards. The version that's a greasy hangover cure from a street stall is still out there and still better. You miss the deep-fried crunch of the original chips, but the aggressively tangy salsa and the rich liquid egg yolks more than make up for it. The yoghurt provides exactly the right cooling finish.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback