The oil-based Mexican salsa made with dried chiles, garlic, nuts, and seeds is salsa macha.
Salsa macha is a spicy Mexican condiment built around vegetable oil, dried chiles, garlic, and salt. Many versions also include peanuts, sesame seeds, almonds, or other nuts and seeds, giving the sauce a rich, textured character rather than the fresh, watery profile associated with many tomato-based salsas. Chile varieties can include chile de árbol, morita, chipotle, pequin, or serrano.
The salsa is often associated with Veracruz, although recipes vary by region and household. Its name may relate to macho, suggesting strength, or machacada, referring to crushing ingredients in a mortar. It can accompany tacos, pozole, carne asada, fish, quesadillas, and other foods. A common mix-up is treating it as one fixed recipe: salsa macha is better understood as a family of oil-preserved chile condiments whose ingredients and texture differ across cooks.