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Recipe: Lomo saltado (Peruvian beef stir-fry)
Lomo saltado is one of my favourite Peruvian dishes. It’s a result of the fusion between Cantonese and Peruvian (i.e. Andean and Spanish) cuisines. This traditional dish consists of strips of beef tenderloin or sirloin (“lomo” in Spanish) stir-fried with onion and tomato wedges, soy sauce and vinegar. It is served with rice and potato chips. You can use tenderloin or sirloin, but any stir-fry cut works well as long as you don’t overcook the meat. As with any stir-fry it’s very important that you get your wok or pan super hot before adding the meat. If you don’t eat beef, there are versions of this dish that use chicken…
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Recipe: Tacu tacu (Peruvian rice and beans)
Every developing country has a traditional rice and beans dish. In Perú we call it “tacu tacu” and it involves a little more than just rice plus beans on a plate. If eaten by itself, tacu tacu is gluten-free and vegan. However, tacu tacu is normally eaten as a side dish or with some add-on toppings. Common toppings include a fried egg, a fried egg + fried plantains (“a lo pobre” or poor style), a fried egg + fried plantains + steak, grilled or fried fish, seafood sauce, etc. I prefer to serve it with some protein and a salad and have included a list of traditional topping ideas in…
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Recipe: Easy seco de cordero (Peruvian lamb coriander stew)
Easy seco de cordero is a weeknight-friendly version of the classic Peruvian lamb and coriander stew, which happens to be one of my favourite Peruvian dishes. What makes it easy is the use of ground lamb instead of stew cuts that must be cooked low and slow. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. Seco is traditionally served with rice plus beans, potatoes or yuca (cassava). The starches help soak up the sauce. Feel free to serve it with cauliflower rice or your choice of vegetables and/or salad for a lower-carb version. Top with some salsa criolla for added freshness. If you don’t have ají amarillo paste, you can sub other…
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Recipe: Salsa criolla (Peruvian pickled onions)
Salsa criolla (Peruvian pickled onions) is an essential accompaniment to all sorts of dishes, such as tamales, arroz con pollo, chicharrón, seco and papa rellena. Of course you don’t need to make Peruvian food to enjoy salsa criolla. You can pair it up with any rich and/or dish that is on the dry side and could use some a bit of juicy tangy zing. If you have time, prepare the onions several hours before using them. They keep well in the fridge for 3-5 days.
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Recipe: Escabeche de pollo
Escabeche de pollo belongs to a family of dishes with Spanish influence in which the main ingredient is marinated in acid, usually vinegar. In Perú, escabeche dishes contain thick slices of red onion, vinegar and Peruvian chillies, either amarillo, panca or both. Escabeche de pollo (chicken escabeche) is usually served at room temperature with boiled potatoes or sweet potatoes and/or rice. When I was growing up, it was a common dish to serve at parties (a party in Perú is not a party if there’s no dancing and no food).
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Recipe: Pastel de choclo con polenta
I recently inherited a bag of polenta that I had to put to good use. Instead of going the easy (Italian) route, I decided to see if I could use it to sub fresh Peruvian corn to make our version of cottage pie. Thus, pastel de choclo con polenta was born. The recipe calls for ají amarillo paste and ají panca paste. If you don’t have ají amarillo I would not bother trying to find a substitute as most chilli pastes will add heat rather than flavour. If you don’t have ají panca for the filling, you can use tomato paste instead. This dish is gluten-free and can be made…
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Recipe: Sopa criolla (Peruvian creole soup)
Sopa criolla (a.k.a. sopa a la minuta) is the Peruvian version of laksa. It’s not as sweet, not as thick, not as tangy, but equally comforting. The alternate name for this soup “a la minuta” indicates that is a quick dish to make (minuto = minute). As most Peruvian dishes, sopa criolla contains onion, garlic and chilli. This base serves to flavour the soup, while the tomatoes provide some sweetness, acidity and body. Other key ingredients are beef (either minced or finely chopped), noodles (usually angel hair pasta) and evaporated milk. The cherry on top is a poached or fried egg. I used vermicelli in this recipe to make it…
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Recipe: Menestrón (Peruvian minestrone)
Menestrón is the Peruvian version of minestrone soup, brought to the country by Italian migrants. What makes this soup Peruvian is the addition of native ingredients, such as potato and cassava. This is a pesto-based version of minestrone (as opposed to tomato-based). In addition to the traditional basil and Parmesan, this pesto features spinach and feta cheese . There are no rules as to which beans and legumes are included in menestrón. However, butter beans and broad beans are very common ingredients. As for the pasta, tradition calls for penne. I recommend using San Remo pulse pasta for a gluten-free, high protein, high fibre alternative.
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Recipe: Easy pulpo al olivo
Pulpo al olivo is a typical Peruvian dish made with octopus and olive mayonnaise. It is often eaten as an entrée or appetizer. This recipe is called easy pulpo al olivo because I’ve included a couple of shortcuts. The invention of this dish is attributed to Peruvian-Japanese chef Rosita Yimura. My lazy version involves no cooking and minimal preparation by using the following ingredients: pre-cooked octopus (see photo below) pre-made mayonnaise (I recommend homemade, this olive oil mayonnaise or this avocado oil mayonnaise). I also used Peruvian botija olives but you may use kalamatas.
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Recipe: Causa de atún (tuna causa)
Causa de atún is one of my favourite variations of causa limeña, a traditional Peruvian entrée. Causa is a cold potato-based dish, made with mashed potatoes that are flavoured with lime and chilli, then used to sandwich the filling. Traditional filling is made with shredded chicken and mayonnaise, but versions with fish and seafood are also popular and tastier, in my opinion. Legend says the name originated when Perú was under Spanish control. Street vendors would sell an early version of the dish “por la causa” (for the cause), the cause being independence from Spain. The recipe calls for ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow chilli) paste, which can be found online…
