Sauce: Heat a griddle or heavy skillet to very hot and cook the chiles for 10 seconds to soften. Rinse the chiles and place in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Reserving the liquid, place the chiles in a blender with the allspice, cloves, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Blend with the top slightly off and protected by a kitchen towel or the heat will blow the top off during blending. Add the chile cooking water and blend again. Add the tomatoes and blend again.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Press a third of the sauce through a strainer into the hot oil and cook, stirring. Press another third, then the remainder, adding a little hot water if necessary to get the sauce through. Reduce the heat and simmer the smoothed sauce for 10 minutes.

Vegetables: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add the nopales, corn, and cilantro and boil for an additional 5 minutes. In a bowl, mix the 3 cups of water with the masa, a little at a time until it's all incorporated. Slowly pour the thinned masa into the boiling vegetable-chile water and stir well. Add 3 more cups of water. Cook for 10 minutes to thicken. Combine the sauce and vegetables. Serve in wide, shallow bowls accompanied by warm tortillas.

does not include chocolate.