Vegan Potato Chiles Rellenos with an Oil-free Option

Instructions

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Give them a good rinse under cold running water, place them in a medium-size saucepan, and cover them with cold water. Throw in the garlic cloves. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and gently boil the potatoes and garlic until the potato pieces fall apart quite easily when pierced with a fork or knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the potatoes cook, place the guajillo chiles in a medium-size bowl and pour the boiling water over them. They will float at first because they are very light when dry, but as they absorb water and start to soften, they will sink. Allow them to soak for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the poblano chiles. Slit each from the stem end down, halfway through its length, without cutting through (make sure to leave the stem intact). You want to create a slit wide enough so you can reach in with your fingers and scoop out as much of the seeds and ribs as possible to fashion a cavity.
4. Once the potatoes are ready, scoop out 1 cup of the potato cooking water and set aside. Drain the potatoes and garlic in a colander and give it a good shake or two to get rid of excess water. Working in batches if necessary, transfer the potatoes and garlic to a ricer and press them through into a medium-size bowl. (If you don’t have a ricer, use a potato masher and fluff them with a fork when completely mashed.) Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the oregano, all the cilantro, and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and fold to incorporate them.
5. Remove each guajillo from the soaking liquid (it should be tepid enough to handle the chiles) and yank out the stems. The stems will separate easily along with the ribs and some of the seeds. Discard these. Reserve the soaking liquid. Transfer the guajillos to a blender jar, sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons oregano and the paprika, and pour in ½ cup of the soaking liquid. Set the jar aside.
6. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a medium-size skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Once the oil appears to shimmer, add the onions and stir-fry them until they start to turn light brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the onions into the blender jar and add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Pour another ¾ cup of the guajillo soaking liquid into the onion skillet to dislodge any remaining bits.
7. Puree the guajillo-onion melange to a smooth paste, scraping down the inside of the jar as needed. Stop the machine, pour in the liquid from the skillet, and give the blender another whirl. (If you were to pour that into the blender earlier, the total liquid in the jar would have been too much to create a smooth puree. Hence the addition in batches.)
8. Divide the potato filling into 4 equal portions and stuff 1 portion into each poblano cavity.
9. Combine the chickpea flour and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a medium-size bowl. Pour ½ cup of the potato cooking water over the flour and whisk it in, making sure that there are no lumps and that the batter is the consistency of thick pancake batter. If it is too thick, thin it a bit with a few more tablespoons of the reserved liquid.
10. Pour oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches into a wok, Dutch oven, or medium-size saucepan. Heat the oil over medium heat until a candy or deep-frying thermometer inserted into the oil (without touching the pan bottom) registers 350°F.
11. Line a large plate or a cookie sheet with several layers of paper towels. Once the oil is hot, dunk a poblano into the batter, making sure it is completely coated. Gently slide it into the hot oil. Coat and add a second poblano to the oil. Deep-fry the poblanos, periodically turning them with tongs until they are reddish brown and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer them from the oil to the paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining poblanos and batter.
12. To serve, ladle a few tablespoons of the guajillo sauce on each serving plate. Place a warm poblano on it and ladle a generous cup of the sauce over the top. Serve right away.