To make the sauce, first rehydrate the dried chiles in boiling hot water for 15 minutes, drain and remove as many of the seeds as you can (I find it’s easier once they’re rehydrated), and place them into a high-powered blender along with the remaining sauce ingredients, besides the oil, flour, and salt. Pulse until smooth (see recipe notes). Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt if necessary.

Next, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the flour and mix to combine into a thick paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the enchilada sauce, whisking to combine. You’ll notice it will thicken quickly. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

Before preparing the enchilada filling, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Meanwhile, for the enchilada filling, place the 4 cloves of garlic, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, and whole peppercorns in mortar and pestle with 1 tablespoon of water and crush until a thick paste forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can make this mixture in a spice grinder (see recipe notes). Set aside.

Then, heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the vegan ground and onions, and cook, breaking the vegan ground meat up with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the seasoning paste and continue to cook until the meat is browned and fully heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 cups of the vegan cheese shreds. Continue to stir until the residual heat melts most of the cheese.

To assemble the enchiladas, smear about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Working one tortilla at a time, carefully dip the tortilla in the remaining sauce in the skillet so it’s lightly coated. Lay the lightly soaked tortilla on a clean flat surface and spoon a couple tablespoons of the meat filling towards the lower half of the tortilla, then gently roll upwards. Place the filled tortilla into the baking dish seam side down and continue with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, followed by the remaining 1 cup of cheese shreds. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted, and the enchiladas are bubbling.

Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and serve with optional preferred toppings. ENJOY!