Calabacitas
A Mexican skillet of courgettes, sweetcorn, roasted poblano and tomato, cooked for 20 minutes and finished with crumbled fresh cheese.
How to Cook Calabacitas
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the courgettes in a single layer for 6 minutes until golden in places.
-
Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the poblano peppers and cumin.
-
Add the sweetcorn, tomatoes and 60 ml water. Cover and cook for 8 minutes until tender.
-
Season with the salt, stir in the cheese and serve hot.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
Keep an Eye on These
- Cook the courgettes in one layer, in batches if the pan is small.
- Salt late so the courgettes stay firm.
- Use a green pepper and a pinch of chilli if poblanos are not available.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Good to Know About Calabacitas
Calabacitas fails when the courgettes are cooked until they weep and collapse, and the dish turns into a pan of grey water. The cure is a hot pan, a single layer of courgette and a light hand with the lid. Hot pans fix it.
Cut the courgettes into half-moons or small cubes, about the size of a thumb joint. Cook them in oil over a medium-high heat for a few minutes without stirring, until the underside is golden. Do not salt them early, since salt draws out water and the courgettes steam instead of browning. Add the onion, garlic and the poblano, which gives the dish its smoky, mild heat. Season at the end.
The corn goes in next, then the tomatoes, with a splash of water or stock. Cover and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. Stir in the crumbled cheese at the end, and eat the dish on its own with warm tortillas, or beside grilled meat. Cheese softens it.
On the Table Alongside
Warm tortillas · Grilled chicken · Rice · Black beans
Leftovers
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently.
Calabacitas Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published .
You Might Also Like
More Mexican cooking and dinner ideas from Weekly Delight.
Mexican Red Rice
Arroz rojo: rice toasted in oil until it smells nutty, then simmered in a tomato and garlic broth until every grain…
One Pan Mexican Rice
Long-grain rice toasted in oil and cooked in tomato, onion and cumin stock with peas and carrots, in one pan.
Instant Pot Black Beans
Dried black beans cooked without soaking in the pressure cooker with onion, garlic and cumin. Six servings in 1 hour.
Refried Beans
Pinto beans simmered with onion and then mashed into their own broth in hot lard until they are creamy, glossy and…
South African Pap
Stiff maize meal porridge cooked until it holds its shape, served with a tomato and onion gravy.
Ugali and Sukuma Wiki
Stiff maize meal cooked until it pulls away from the pan, served with collard greens fried with onion and tomato…