Criollo Halloween is here! This is Halloween + Creole Song Day (Aka Día de la Canción Criolla), which also falls on October 31 and is a Peruvian holiday to celebrate our Creole culture. This is why this week’s recipe is dedicated to Carapulcra, a stew of dried potatoes and meat, heavily seasoned with chilies and spices. A trivia fact about Carapulcra, did you know it is the oldest Peruvian dish in history?

Carapulcra de tres carnes

Because this is a typical and traditional dish it has many recipe versions and secrets. Let’s call this is a basic recipe, for beginners like me. You can also make it with a single type of meat. If you are in the United States or another location outside of Peru, you may find these ingredients in a Latin supermarket.

Ingredients
½ kilo of boneless pork and diced
½ kilo of boneless beef and cubed
½ kilo of boneless chicken breast and diced
15 oz. / 425 gr. dried potatoes
½ cup finely minced onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Peruvian yellow pepper, to taste – I used one whole, gutless and boiled twice in water
¼ teaspoon Peruvian panca pepper
2-4 cups of chicken broth – I recommend you make 2 liters
¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
½ cup toasted and ground peanuts – you can ground them quickly in the blender
½ cup of sweet wine – I used dry wine
Salt, ground pepper, and cumin, to taste
Oil

Preparation
Toast the dried potato lightly in a pan without oil. Then soak in water for 30 min.

Cook the pork meat in hot oil. Set it meat aside.Repeat this for the beef and chicken.

Fry the onion and garlic in the same oil. Add the Peruvian yellow and panca peppers. Spice with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Add 2 cups of broth. Then add all the meats. Following that add the drained potatoes.

Cook this for about 20 minutes, adding broth or water if it dries. When the potatoes are cooked add the clove, peanuts, and wine.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with white rice. Traditionally, Carapulcra is also served with cooked yucas.

Serves 8 to 10 people.

They say there’s a first time for everything. This weekend was my first time mountain biking. I didn’t know how to say that in Spanish, but it was the best although now it hurts when I sit.

Following with the subject of trying something new, this week’s recipe is the Peruvian dish known as “arroz tapado” or covered rice (or molded rice with meat filling, rice on top, ground beef and rice, the list goes on). Traditionally, this is made with ground beef but I have twice made it with ground turkey and I really like it. I encourage you to try it, with whichever meat you prefer.

Ingredientes
½ kilo of ground turkey or other
1 onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
¼ cup raisins
3-4 pitted olives, chopped
2-3 hard boiled eggs
2 cups cooked rice, approx.

Preparation
Spice the meat with salt and pepper.

Fry the garlic and onion in oil. Add the meat and let it cook all the way.

Add the raisins and olives. Also, add the chopped eggs.

Place the meat filling mold, between two layers of cooked rice. Unmold onto the dish that it will be served in. You may need pacience for unmolding. Try flat moldes for better results.

Garnish with cilantro and egg slices.

Serves 2-3 people.

I am very happy to share this publication because it means that I have restocked on Peruvian yellow peppers and other ingredients that I had run out of a few weeks ago. Since I have continued my commitment to eat mainly fish on the weekend, I was really craving a traditional Peruvian style ceviche. My first attempt of ceviche was with salmon and avocado, and now I would like to share this recipe for making a typical Peruvian ceviche. I hope you like it! Español aquí.

Although I would have liked to make ceviche with corvina or cojinova fish, I had to try another species, since I’m still away from Lima. I had a very good experience with “Barramundi” which was recommended at an organic supermarket. Apparently this fish comes from the West Pacific region, and is very popular in Thailand. It was good, but if I can recommend another white fish other than tilapia, I promise I will try it 🙂

I’d forgotten how easy and fast it is this dish. I really enjoyed making it.

In case you are looking for Peruvian ingredients in Texas, I found Peruvian yellow, rocoto, panca, and mirasol peppers at Fiesta Mart supermarkets. The brands they carry are Inca’s Food for chillies and some beverages, and Goya for beans and banana chips. You may find it funny, but I struggled to find lima beans and chickpeas before that. If you are not near the store, look for a Latin market and asking for their Peruvian food section. Hope you find it!

Ingredientes
Ceviche
1 kilo of white boneless fish
1 cup of Peruvian lemon juice (**)
1 large red onion, in thin vertical cuts
1 Peruvian yellow pepper, or according to taste
¼ teaspoon shredded ginger
2-3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Lettuce or arugula

Toasted Dried Corn Cancha
Dried corn cancha for toasting
Salt

Preparation
Ceviche
Remove the skin and cut into medium to small cubes.

Place the fish on a dish, without placing one cut over another. Add garlic, salt and pepper.

Optional: Add Peruvian Yellow Pepper and ginger.

Cover fish with onion.

Cover the dish with lemon and let sit for 10 min. Serve immediately when cooked.

Ceviche is traditionally served on lettuce and garnished with cilantro. It is accompanied by toasted cancha, sweet potato and peruvian corn.

Serves 3-4 people

Toasted Dried Corn Cancha
You can toast the cancha while you wait for the fish to cook. Heat an oiled pot. Add cancha.

Cover and cook until shortly after cancha pops. You can shake the covered pot to help it cook evenly, until golden. Make sure to wear mittens if you do this.

Pour the cancha in a bowl and add salt.

Repeat to make more.

Comments (**)

• You can boil the Peruvian Yellow Pepper in water to reduce the spice. I boiled it twice in the microwave.
• Try bathing the onion in salted water before adding to the fish, to reduce its strong flavor.
• The cancha cooks very fast so try making it in small portions to avoid burning the cancha.
• Peruvian lemon has a different flavor than lemons you will find elsewhere. In the US you can mix limes and lemons, say 2 limes and 6 lemons.