One of my all-time favorite Mexican foods is Rajas. They’re mild Poblano peppers, roasted, cut in strips, and in the case of Rajas con Crema simmered in cream. They’re fabulous and rich and if you can imagine the mild, smoky poblanos melding with the creamy sauce, you’ll start to wrap your mind around the unique flavors of Rajas.
Rajas con Crema – Street Taco Style
The dish is traditional in Central and Southern Mexico, but I have a few fun twists. Rajas con Crema begs to be riffed on – in my mind anyway! Here I’ve used a mix of poblanos, colorful bell peppers, and a bit of sweet potato (with just a touch of jalapeno for a little spice) and served them street taco style. A touch of lime, a bit of cilantro, and a sprinkle of Queso Fresco take them over the top.
About Rajas con Crema Tacos:
Don’t think you have to stop there, though, by using Rajas con Crema in street tacos. I gotta tell ya, because these are tacos, I’ve used a little less cream in this recipe than usual.
Add a bit more and the versatile Rajas con Crema can be so many different things! They can be a filling, a topping, or used as a condiment.
- Rajas are a fabulous vegetarian option tucked into burritos or bowls. You couldn’t go wrong using them as a topping for a baked sweet potato (or a baked russet.)
- You don’t have to go vegetarian. Tuck them into any burrito or bowl and they’re gonna complement it, whether chicken, pork, or beef. Top a flank (or other) steak with them as you’ll so often see in Mexican restaurants.
- A fun twist would be to use these rajas for a burger topping. The possibilities are almost endless from big fat burgers to smash burger-style. Serve on a bun or wrapped in a flour tortilla.
- Comb your fridge and combine rajas with leftovers for a burrito filling or bowl. Rice or grains, or just about any protein that needs to be used from meats to beans, chickpeas, and so on are fair game. It’s a great time saver to build off what’s already in your fridge (and prevents waste!)
Rajas can be finished in many ways. Whether you make tacos like I did (highly recommended) or serve them some other way:
- First of all, you’ll want lime. It really plays off the creamy richness.
- Sprinkle pepitas or pumpkin seeds on any rajas dish for a little crunch. (Want to know the difference? Check out this article from Cookful on that pressing issue.)
- Cheese never hurts. The mixture is already creamy so use Queso Fresco (or Feta as a sub) rather than something melty.
Rajas con Crema
Variations:
Tradition dictates poblanos, but many additions can be made: it’s not uncommon to hear of Rajas with corn, squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Red onion adds pizazz; white is more basic. And me? I gotta have a jalapeno or two. A little smoked paprika or touch of chipotle powder adds a little oomph, def NOT a traditional variation!
Rajas are a great way to use up a few leftovers from the fridge; variations don’t have to be made specifically for this dish.
Rajas con Crema
Making Rajas con Crema Tacos:
The poblanos and bell peppers need to be roasted and charred and then steamed to make peeling easier. Don’t over do it; they’re heated a second time in the cream and can fall apart if too well done.
Roasting can be done under the broiler, on a grill, on the burner of a gas stove, or with a torch. The torch is a last result; it can leave a taste behind from the propane.
When cleaning the peppers, try to get as much of the skin off as possible, but don’t sweat small bits. And don’t rinse them! Rinsing IS easier but you’re rinsing off some of the flavor if you do! Just be patient.
When cooking the onions, do try to get a little char! You can see I’m not using my best skillet!! The potatoes go in (and that’s when I like to sprinkle on a little smoked paprika or chipotle powder, optional) and I keep the heat pretty high, add a little extra oil and again, try to get a little color on them.
Roasted Peppers for Rajas
Saving Money on Rajas con Crema Tacos:
Poblanos might look pricey per pound but they aren’t super heavy so the total isn’t usually as bad as it looks like at first glance. In season and in areas where they’re grown they’re much cheaper! Where I live in Minnesota, there really aren’t sales but the farmer’s markets sometimes carry them. It does pay to have an idea of the pricing at the store when shopping the markets. Sometimes the prices are fabulous, but sometimes not. The same applies to jalapenos, though the price at Aldi is outstanding.
As far as bells, there are two types of sales, per pound or per pepper. generally the per pepper pricing is cheaper. Pick out the largest, most gorgeous ones. The peppers are often bagged and sold by a unit price, too. An Aldi price for a three-pack may be better than any grocery store sale.
When working with any pepper to be roasted, Bells, Poblanos, Serranos & Jalapenos, if the price is great pick up extra, roast them, portion into Ziplocs, and freeze. It makes future meals easier to have a stash, the mess is over, and your freezer has sales-priced peppers ready to use.
Cream is always cheaper at the discount groceries like Aldi & Lidl. The everyday price beats out the buyer’s club (which only sells quarts) and the best grocery store holiday sales price. Cream keeps for weeks (high-fat content) so if you need to shop at your standard supermarket get in the habit of picking cream up during holiday sales. If you’d like to see what might be on sale during any particular holiday, check out Win at the Grocers. It has a link to each holiday.
Rajas con Crema Tacos
Rajas con Crema Tacos
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 serving 2 to 3 tacos each 1x
- Category: Vegetarian Main
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
Ingredients
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 bell peppers, cut in half, cleaned of seeds and ribs
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (approximately) peeled and cut in 1/2″ dice
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 red onion, cut pole to pole
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/2 teaspoon (to taste) oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 – 12 small corn (more if you wish to double) or flour tortillas
- optional toppings: cilantro, crema or sour cream, cheese (Mexican, Jack or Colby), cilantro, salsa, lime, etc.
Instructions
Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers on a baking sheet covered with foil and broil until the skin is blistered and just charred, turning to cook on all sides as needed and removing them as they are finished. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover to steam for 10 minutes.
Open peppers, removing stems, seeds, and ribs. Turn the peppers over and flatten them out, peel the blistered skin off the peppers. Slice into 1/4 inch strips, lengthwise.
In the meantime, place the sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Add about 1/4 cup water, cover with plastic wrap, and cook for about 5 minutes on high until potatoes are soft but still slightly firm.
Heat oil in a large skillet, add onion and saute until over medium-high heat until softened. Add potatoes and continue to cook until the onions are slightly browned and the potatoes pick up a bit of color. Optional, but add a little smoked paprika or chipotle powder to the potatoes if you wish. Add peppers, oregano, and cream and cook for a moment or two longer until the cream has thickened and coats the rest of the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish as desired. A little cilantro, some sour cream or crema, and lime are fabulous.
Note: To prepare tortillas, if using flour they can be heated in a towel, a small stack at a time in the microwave for about 1 minute. If using corn, heat over a burner or in a dry skillet until slightly toasted but still soft and wrap in a towel to keep warm. A great time to do that is while the onions and sweet potato are being sauteed..
