Papa rellena: learn to prepare this Peruvian delight at home

Can you imagine a potato dough soft in the inside and crispy on its edge whose interior is composed for a filled of minced meat with onions, native chili and hard-boiled egg pieces? Well, this delight exists and you find it in Peru. It is one of the most popular dishes in this country, being present daily at the tables of Peruvians. And is that, being made from potatoes, one of the greatest gastronomic treasures that this country has, the predilection and taste is unanimous.

The history of this delicious and meaty dish dates back to the years of the Pacific War between Peru and Chile in 1879. According to history, Peruvian soldiers had to travel long distances on remote roads to avoid being noticed by the Chilean troops. On their travels, they took food of all kinds with them, including potatoes, ground meat and various condiments such as native chili, salt and spices. It was so that, in a practical way, they cooked the meat and seasoned it, then wrapped it in a mass of boiled potatoes. All the preparation was covered and protected with fabrics that served for easy transport. In this way, when lunchtime came or after a long walk, they looked for a place to light a fire and heat the papas rellenas (filled potatoes).

Over time, this recipe crossed borders and became very popular in countries such as Chile and Colombia, which added other ingredients and created new versions of this iconic dish.

How to prepare it easily at home?
There are many alternatives to make a papa rellena. According to the renowned Peruvian chef, Gastón Acurio, everything is based on practicality and intuition, "Here what it's all about is acquiring the basic ingredients and some others that are to the taste of each one. From this, it consists of making a dough that feels that it is not going to crumble to the touch, but that is not very hard either. It simply seeks to make a smooth and slightly compact dough that, when tested, feels soft and creamy”, he explains.

The recipe for this dish includes a kilo of parboiled potato and a kilo of ground meat. On the other hand, you must chop a large onion, a tomato, a native yellow pepper and a hard-boiled egg. Also, a clove of garlic, 20 grams of raisins, two olives, flour, salt and pepper will be necessary.

It is a practical recipe that you can prepare without much effort at any time of the day. Credit: Andina.

For the preparation, first place in a frying pan a little oil, wait for it to heat, add the onion, the tomato, the native yellow pepper, the garlic, and fry the mixture for a few minutes. Then, aggregate the ground meat and let it cool for about 10 minutes, stirring at times. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once you have the filling ready, take a handful of the potato dough (previously parboiled, peeled and pressed) and spread it to place a little of the mincemeat. Take another handful and cover it completely. Repeat this operation according to the amount of potatoes you want to prepare. As a last step, proceed to smear the potatoes with flour and place them in a hot frying pan -on high heat-, to avoid sticking. Once they are crispy, remove and serve them on a small plate. Don't forget to accompany your papas rellenas with a creole sauce based on onions, native yellow chili, lemon, salt and pepper.

As you can see, it is a practical recipe that you can prepare without much effort at any time of the day. Go ahead and enjoy its delicious combination of flavors. You will be delighted!

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