Buñuelos colombianos
Christmas cheese fritters made with cassava starch and cornflour
In December, Colombian families gather for the novena de aguinaldos, nine evenings of prayers and carols before Christmas, and the reward afterwards is a plate of hot buñuelos with a bowl of natilla. These little golden balls are made from crumbly cheese, cassava starch and cornflour, fried until they puff and roll themselves over in the oil. They are crisp outside, airy and cheesy inside. Chef's tip: start the oil only warm, around 150 °C; buñuelos fried too hot crack open and stay raw in the centre.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz feta cheese in a bowl and mash it with a fork until it is a fine, damp crumb with no lumps.
Step 2: Add 2 ⅛ oz cassava starch (tapioca flour), 1 ⅜ oz cornflour (cornstarch), 2 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder and rub together, then add 1 egg and knead to a smooth, soft dough. Add 2 tbsp milk a little at a time only if it cracks.
Step 3: Roll into 18 smooth balls about 4 cm across. Any cracks in the surface will split open in the oil, so roll until perfectly smooth.
Step 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep pan over a medium-low heat to about 300°F. Add 6 balls; they will sink.
5 minStep 5: Fry, without turning, until they rise and start to roll over by themselves, then keep frying, raising the heat a little, until puffed and golden all over, 8–10 minutes in total. The common mistake is frying them in very hot oil from the start: they brown before they puff.
15 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper and serve warm with natilla or hot chocolate.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does buñuelos colombianos take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of feta cheese?
- Goat's cheese or ricotta salata, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cornflour (cornstarch)?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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