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…Continue reading Recipe: Pastel de choclo con polenta
Tag: Peruvian food
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…Continue reading Recipe: Sopa criolla (Peruvian creole soup)
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…Continue reading Recipe: Menestrón (Peruvian minestrone)
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…Continue reading Recipe: Easy pulpo al olivo
Recipe: My mum’s arroz chaufa (Peruvian fried rice)
Chaufa comes from chao fan, which apparently means “fried rice” in Chinese (not sure if in Mandarin, Cantonese or both). So yeah, arroz chaufa = “fried rice rice”. Arroz chaufa in Perú is very popular (as we have a large Cantonese community) and it comes in many varieties: chicken, pork, chicken + pork, chicken +…Continue reading Recipe: My mum’s arroz chaufa (Peruvian fried rice)
Recipe: Choritos a la chalaca (Peruvian mussels with salsa)
Choritos a la chalaca is a typical Peruvian appetizer/bar food. “Choros” = mussels (it also means thieves in slang) and “chalaca” is a type of salsa similar to pico de gallo. Chalaco or chalaca is a person (male or female) from the port of Callao, where I was born. The main difference between “salsa chalaca”…Continue reading Recipe: Choritos a la chalaca (Peruvian mussels with salsa)
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…Continue reading Recipe: Causa de atún (tuna causa)
Recipe: My mum’s pollo con piña (pineapple chicken)
Mum is a great cook. Pollo con piña (pineapple chicken) was one of her go-to meals, possibly the one she made the most often. We had it for dinner on regular weekdays and also on special occasions, such as my dad’s birthday. I have to confess that at some stage of my life I got…Continue reading Recipe: My mum’s pollo con piña (pineapple chicken)
What is lucuma (and how to pronounce it)
Lucuma (written lúcuma in Spanish) is an Andean fruit that grows in Peru, Ecuador and Chile. It has been around since before the Incas and it’s still widely consumed in the region. Listen to the correct pronunciation in this link. Lucuma is generally the size of an orange or grapefruit, although there are also smaller…Continue reading What is lucuma (and how to pronounce it)
Recipe: Sudado de pescado (Peruvian steamed fish)
Sudado de pescado can be considered a soup or a stew. I guess it depends on how you serve it: with boiled cassava or with boiled cassava and rice. The verb sudar means “to sweat”… in this context, it means the fish is steamed on top of a bed of onions and tomatoes with a…Continue reading Recipe: Sudado de pescado (Peruvian steamed fish)