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Tigrillo
Tigrillo: Zaruma's chunky green-plantain breakfast scramble with egg and cheese
Tigrillo comes from Zaruma, the gold-mining hill town of El Oro province, where cafés serve it as the morning plate before work: boiled green plantain crushed into rough chunks, fried in an onion and achiote sofrito, then bound with scrambled egg and melting fresh cheese. It is savoury, filling and a little crisp at the edges, best with a strong coffee and a spoonful of chilli sauce. The mistake people make is mashing the plantain smooth like potato; leave it chunky, as the name (a little tiger, for its patchy look) suggests. Traditional queso fresco is often set with animal rennet; choose a cheese labelled vegetarian if that matters to you. Chef's tip: boil the plantains until a knife slides in easily; undercooked green plantain stays hard however long you fry it.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 green plantainspeeled and cut into 4 pieces each
- 1 tsp saltdivided
- 1 oz butter
- 1 white onionsmall, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- ½ tsp ground achiote (annatto)
- 4 eggs
- 5 ½ oz queso frescocrumbled; vegetarian fresh cheese if preferred
- 2 spring onion (optional)sliced
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce (ají) (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil 3 green plantains in salted water with half of ½ tsp salt for 20–25 minutes, until a knife slides through easily.
25 minStep 2: Drain and crush with a fork or potato masher into rough chunks, some the size of a hazelnut. Don't mash to a purée.
Step 3: Melt 1 oz butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 white onion, 2 cloves garlic and ½ tsp ground achiote (annatto) and cook until the onion is soft and orange.
4 minStep 4: Add the plantain and the rest of ½ tsp salt and fry, turning now and then, until hot through with some golden bits.
5 minStep 5: Beat 4 eggs, pour over and stir gently until just set. Fold in 5 ½ oz queso fresco and take off the heat as soon as it starts to melt.
2 minStep 6: Serve hot with 2 spring onion scattered over and 1 tbsp chilli sauce (ají) on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tigrillo take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 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 butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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