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Ají de fideos
Ají de fideos: La Paz's noodles in red chilli with beef and potato
Ají de fideos fills the market comedores of La Paz at lunchtime: spaghetti snapped into short pieces and simmered in a brick-red sauce of dried chilli, onion and tomato with chunks of beef and potato, all eaten with a spoon. It is warming, a little smoky and properly hot, perfect at 3,600 metres. The trap is adding the pasta too early, which leaves it bloated and the sauce gluey. Chef's tip: toast the broken spaghetti in a little oil until golden before it goes into the pot; it keeps its shape and adds a nutty flavour.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb beef braising steakcut into 2 cm cubes
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 ripe tomatoesgrated
- 1.2 litres hot water
- 3 potatoespeeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 7 oz spaghettibroken into 5 cm pieces
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp parsleychopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pan over a high heat and brown 1 ⅛ lb beef braising steak in two batches until well coloured. Lift out.
10 minStep 2: Lower the heat, add 2 onions and cook until soft and golden, then add 3 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp ground red chilli (ají colorado) or mild chilli powder, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
9 minStep 3: Add 2 ripe tomatoes and cook until thick, then return the beef with 1.2 litres hot water and 1 ½ tsp salt. Cover and simmer gently until the beef is tender when pressed with a spoon, about 50 minutes.
50 minStep 4: Meanwhile, fry 7 oz spaghetti in the rest of 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, stirring, until golden.
4 minStep 5: Add 3 potatoes to the stew and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the toasted spaghetti and cook until the pasta is just tender and the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes more. The sauce should be loose and spoonable; add hot water if it gets too thick.
20 minStep 6: Taste for salt, scatter over 2 tbsp parsley and serve in deep plates.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ají de fideos take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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