Tomatillo vs Mole Sauce: Difference and Comparison

Out of the many cuisines available, Mexican cuisine stands out as one the most popular and favourite cuisines of the people. There are various components of this cuisine that make it so amazing.

And one of these major components is the different types of sauces used. Tomatillo and Mole are two such sauces.

Key Takeaways

1. Tomatillo is a green fruit used to make sauces, while Mole sauce is a Mexican sauce made with chilli peppers and chocolate.
2. Tomatillo sauce has a tart flavor, while Mole sauce has a complex and rich flavor with hints of sweetness and spiciness.
3. Tomatillo sauce is used in Mexican cuisine to complement enchiladas and tacos. In contrast, Mole sauce is a main ingredient in dishes such as chicken mole and enchiladas mole.

Tomatillo vs Mole Sauce

Tomatillo is a fruit that resembles a green tomato and is used to make salsa verde, a tangy and sweet sauce made from tomatillos, chilli peppers, onions, and other seasonings. Mole sauce is a complex sauce made from a combination of ingredients, including chilli peppers, nuts, spices, and chocolate.

The tomatillo sauce is a type of Mexican sauce used in various Mexican dishes. It is made with green tomatoes with a husk covering called Tomatillos.

It also has other ingredients like peppers, onions, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, oils, and salt. This sauce is quite easy to make and does not take much time.

Mole sauce is another type of Mexican sauce popularly used in Mexican dishes. It is made with lots of chilli peppers, black pepper, cinnamon, nuts, spices, cumin, salt, and even chocolate.

This sauce is complex in nature and is very difficult to make. This lasts for about three to four months.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Tomatillo Sauce	Mole Sauce
Main ingredient	The main ingredient is the tomatillo. It appears to be a green tomato with a husk covering.	There is no main ingredient as such, and it is a complex sauce.
Other ingredients	Other ingredients include jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers, medium red onion, garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, and some oils.	The ingredients include fruits, nuts, chilli pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, and cumin.
Time	The general preparation time is 20-25 mins.	The general preparation time if making from scratch takes about one hour.
Shelf life	If it is covered in a refrigerator, it lasts for about 1 week or else 3 days.	If stored as Mole paste in refrigerator paste, it lasts for about 4 months in the refrigerator.
Consistency	It has a creamy consistency.	It has a thick and gravy-like consistency.

What is Tomatillo Sauce?

Tomatillo Sauce refers to sauce primarily made from Tomatillos. Tomatillos look similar to tomatoes, only smaller with green colour and husk covering.

They are pronounced as”toe-mah-TEE-yo”. It is a popular type of salsa.

There are mainly two types: red tomato salsa and salsa verde, made of tomatillos. Most people even call them Green tomatoes.

However, they are not from the family genus of tomatoes. The Salsa verde or tomatillo sauce, in general, is very easy to make, even from scratch.

Typically the preparation time takes 10 minutes and the cooking time 15 minutes. Hence, the total time required is 25 minutes.

Firstly the tomatillos need to be washed. Following that, they should be baked in the oven, cooked on the stove, or boiled.

For more flavour, baking or roasting is preferred. However, boiling the tomatillos is the most common method.

In the next step, these tomatillos should be blended in a blender or food processor along with other ingredients like lime juice, onions, garlic, cilantro, and chilli peppers. It suggested that these ingredients must be finely chopped for a better sauce.

Last but not least, salt should be added according to the preference of the individual. This sauce can be used in tortillas, burritos, enchiladas, or even for dipping chips.  

What is Mole Sauce? 

Mole Sauce refers to a sauce that is primarily made from chilli peppers, spices, and nuts. The spices include black peppers, cinnamon, and cumin.

It is popularly used in many Mexican dishes. The preparation time takes about 20 minutes.

The cooking time takes 30 minutes. Also, the additional time taken is 10 minutes.

Hence, the total time taken to prepare mole sauce is 60 minutes/ one hour. In some cases, the mole sauce can be made in 20 minutes also.

For the 20 minutes of sauce first, the onions must be chopped and sauteed.

Later, garlic and jalapeño should be added. After that, in the next step, dry seasonings and flour should be added.

One needs to make sure that the dry seasonings and flour are correctly measured. After stirring the warm mixture for a while, the additional veggies should be added.

The mixture needs to be cooled down a bit before blending. The mixture then needs to be blended in a blender or a food processor.

This blended mixture should be whisked properly. Additional ingredients and salt should be added according to the preference.

This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator and used for 3 to 4 months.

Main Differences Between Tomatillo and Mole Sauce

1. The main ingredient in tomatillo sauce is the tomatillo. It appears to be a green tomato with a husk covering. In mole sauce, there is no main ingredient as such, and it is a complex sauce.
2. Other ingredients in tomatillo sauce include jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers, medium red onion, garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, lime juice, cumin, Salt, and some oils. The ingredients in mole sauce include fruits, nuts, chilli pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, and cumin.
3. The general preparation time for tomatillo sauce is 20-25 mins. The general preparation time for mole sauce made from scratch takes about one hour.
4. If tomatillo sauce is covered in a refrigerator, it lasts for about 1 week or else 3 days. If mole sauce is stored as Mole paste in the refrigerator paste, it lasts for about 4 months in the refrigerator.
5. Tomatillo sauce has a creamy consistency. Mole sauce has a thick and gravy-like consistency.

References

1. http://www.milagrosrc.com/s/menu_party_takeout.pdf
2. https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0101-20612014000200023&script=sci_abstract&tlng=es