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Kispiño
Kispiño: Puno's hand-pressed steamed quinoa cakes, a travel food that keeps for days
Pressed in a fist so each one carries the marks of the cook's fingers, kispiño are small, dense quinoa cakes from the Puno highlands, steamed and then left to dry so they keep for weeks on journeys, herding trips and pilgrimages. Traditional ones are bound with a little lime water (from cal, the mineral) and fat; this home version uses oil and a pinch of aniseed and sugar, so they're vegan and pleasantly savoury-sweet. They're firm and chewy, a little like a grain cake, and good with hot tea, coca tea or a soup on a cold day. The common mistake is making the dough too wet, so the cakes slump in the steamer; it should feel like damp sand that holds its shape when squeezed. Ground quinoa is quinoa flour; grind your own from rinsed, dried and toasted grain, or buy it ready ground. Chef's tip: toast the ground quinoa in a dry pan first until it smells nutty, which takes away any bitterness.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toast 10 ½ oz ground quinoa in a wide dry pan over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty and darkens a shade, 5–6 minutes. Tip into a bowl and cool for 5 minutes.
11 minStep 2: Mix in ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp aniseed, then add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and rub it in with your fingertips.
Step 3: Add ¾ cup warm water a little at a time, mixing with your hand, until the dough is like damp sand and holds firmly when squeezed. You may not need it all.
Step 4: Take a walnut-sized lump, about 30 g, and squeeze it firmly in your fist so it forms a ridged, finger-marked cake. Repeat with the rest; you should get about 18.
Step 5: Set the cakes on a steamer lined with baking paper, leaving gaps. Steam over simmering water, covered, until firm and slightly glossy, 25–30 minutes.
30 minStep 6: Cool on a rack. Eat warm, or leave uncovered for a day to dry and harden for keeping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kispiño take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of aniseed?
- Fennel seeds, same amount (milder).
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