AI-generated image
Vegetable charquicán
Chilean pumpkin, potato, corn and pea stew with merkén, topped with a fried egg
Charquicán is old Chilean country food: a thick mash of pumpkin and potato with corn and peas, once made with charqui, the dried meat of the Andes. In the south and in Santiago homes it's a winter weeknight dinner, served in a deep plate with a fried egg on top and pickled onions or a simple salad. Without the meat it's still rich and smoky with merkén (smoked chilli) and paprika. Chef's tip: mash only roughly at the end; charquicán should have soft chunks, not be a smooth purée.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion and 1 red sweet pepper for 6 minutes until soft. Add 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp merkén or chilli flakes, ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp dried oregano and stir for 1 minute.
7 minStep 2: Add 1 ⅛ lb potatoes, 1 ⅛ lb pumpkin and 1 ¾ cups vegetable stock. Cover and simmer for 18–20 minutes until a knife slides through the potato easily.
20 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz sweetcorn kernels, 5 ½ oz green peas and 3 ½ oz green beans and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, until the beans are bright green and tender.
5 minStep 4: Mash roughly with a potato masher, leaving plenty of chunks. If it looks dry, add a splash of water; it should be soft and spoonable. Season with 1 tsp salt. Common mistake: adding too much stock at the start; it turns into soup and can't be mashed.
Step 5: Fry 4 eggs in 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium heat for 3 minutes until the whites are set and the edges lacy. Serve the charquicán with an egg on each plate and 2 tbsp parsley or coriander on top.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable charquicán take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 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 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Spinach with mushrooms
A bright green, savoury puree of potato, mushrooms and fresh spinach cooked in home-made baby stock. Thick and smooth, it's a good way to get iron-rich greens into babies of 8–18 months. Serve warm; spare portions freeze well.
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
