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Tacu tacu
Crisp-edged pan-fried cake of leftover beans and rice, with salsa criolla
Tacu tacu was born in the Afro-Peruvian kitchens of Lima, as a thrifty way to turn yesterday's beans and rice into something new; today it appears on the menus of smart criollo restaurants too. Mashed canario beans and rice are fried with garlic, onion and ají amarillo, then shaped in the pan into a long, crisp-edged cake, soft inside and golden outside. It is a hearty lunch for two with a sharp salsa criolla of onion and lime, and often a fried ripe plantain on the side. Canario beans are pale yellow and creamy; pinto or cannellini beans work well. Chef's tip: use cold, day-old rice and beans; warm, freshly cooked ones are too soft to hold their shape and the tacu tacu falls apart.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the tacu tacu
For the salsa criolla
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: For the salsa criolla, rinse the ½ red onion in cold water for a minute, drain well and toss with the juice of 1 lime, ½ ají limo, 1 tbsp fresh coriander and a pinch of ¼ tsp salt. Set aside; the onion turns pink and softens while you cook.
Step 2: Put the 14 oz cooked canario beans in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of water or bean liquor and mash roughly with a fork. Leave some halves whole for texture.
Step 3: Heat 1 tablespoon of 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a 24 cm non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry ½ red onion and 2 cloves garlic for 3–4 minutes until soft and smelling sweet.
4 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste, ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp dried oregano and fry for 1 minute until fragrant and the oil turns yellow.
1 minStep 5: Add the mashed beans, then the 10 ½ oz cooked white rice, and season with the rest of ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Mix and press for 2–3 minutes over a medium heat until it comes together into a thick, sticky mass that leaves the sides of the pan. Too dry? Add a splash of water.
3 minStep 6: Tip the mixture into a bowl. Wipe out the pan and heat the rest of 2 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium-high heat until it shimmers.
Step 7: Add the mixture and use a spatula to shape it into a long, flat oval or a thick round about 2.5 cm high, tucking in the edges. Fry for 4–5 minutes without moving it, shaking the pan now and then, until the bottom is a deep golden crust.
5 minStep 8: Flip it, either by folding it over on itself like an omelette (the Lima way) or by turning it onto a plate and sliding it back. Fry for 3 minutes more until crisp on the second side.
3 minStep 9: Slide onto a plate, cut in half and serve hot with the salsa criolla on top.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 85 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tacu tacu take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 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.
- What can I use instead of cooked white rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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