Today I am sharing my recipe for Caigua Rellena (Stuffed Caigua)
Caigua rellena is a dish that brings back memories, this is one of the few dishes my grandmom enjoyed making and eating.
Grandma enjoyed cooking but as she aged, you could tell how things changed, most of the food she loved she could not eat anymore and that had a massive impact on her, but this dish brings back memories since I remember seeing her happy as soon as she started talking about it.
You are going to find different ways to cook “Caigua rellena” and there are many recipes out there, I will share the one my grandma used to cook for us when I was a kid, I tweaked the recipe a bit to help readers that live abroad.
Here are some common questions:
What is Caigua?
let’s start with the scientific name Cyclanthera pedata, known by many names (Caigua, Caihua, Achocha, Jaiva, Stuffing cucumber, to mention some); this is the fruit of a plant that is used as a vegetable in most regions.
In Peru, it is also used in smoothies since it has antioxidants.
What is this dish about?
We stuff our Caiguas, with some sautee veggies, beef, and spices.
Here are some tips to cook Caigua:
1 – If you get Caigua frozen, blanching it might not be necessary, since it might fall apart if you overcook it.
2 – Overstuffing the Caigua might not be a good idea, since it might break when trying to plate it (talking from experience here)
3 – Try to get Caiguas that are the same size, in that way, they might cook all at the same time.
Ingredients are very basic, and the star of the dish is the Caigua, if you are wondering how it tastes, it has a unique flavor, and it is tender and juicy; a must-try.
As with most things in Peruvian cuisine, it all starts with an “aderezo”, sautee, onions, garlic, and some Ají Panca paste, to add color and flavor.
If you wondering if you have seen this filling in another Peruvian dish, you might be right, the filling is really similar to the one we use in our recipe for Papa Rellena,
As you can see in the slider, the Caigua has a different color when it is raw, then changes to a different green tone. it turns tender and absorbs some of the flavors you cook it in.
Caigua Rellena, one of my Grandmom’s favorites, I am so happy to share this recipe with you guys, I think you are going to love it, a dish that is easy to prepare with a unique and delicious flavor.
Pollo Saltado is a Peruvian stir fry chicken dish made with ají amarillo, soy sauce, vinegar, tomatoes, and french fries. Fast, smoky, and built on the same technique as Lomo Saltado.
Caigua, stuffed with beef, and veggies, served over rice.
Dear Readers, I am excited to share this recipe with you, for those whose never try Lima beans before let me introduce you to this amazing ingredient, Lima Beans a.k.a “Pallares” is a bean originary from the Peruvia Region, the flavor is kind of bitter but a slight of sweetness, its also really starchy and creamy. Remember some of the tools/ingredients I use will be at the bottom of the post Picante de Pallares | Servings: 4 Ingredients : Steps : In a pot add water, Lima beans and a pinch of salt , let it cook for 10 min with a lid on or until tender , reserve In a pan add some oil , onions , garlic , Aji Amarillo paste , Huacatay and let it cook until tender Once cooked add , Lima beans, milk and let it reduce , let the beans absorb the juices. Turn off and add cheese and seasoning That is it guys , a tasty Lima Beans stew, This dish is rich on flavors, it has touch of spiciness, touch of sweet, touch of bitter and some saltiness , just perfect and I love it! , try it out you wont regret it! Some tools/ingredients used on this recipe:
“Seco de Mariscos”, is a creamy stew with some seafood, great aroma, and texture in one quick dish.
Dear readers , Today I am sharing with you my version of Guacamole, unlike traditional Mexican Guacamole, I don not like chilies on my Guacamole , I like the flavor of the chilies but its OK, sometimes to try something a little bit different , so if you don’t like spice food this might be the right dish for you. Links for the ingredients / tools I use on this recipe will be at the bottom of the post Guacamole | Servings: 350 gr Ingredients: Steps: Get your ingredients ready, I removed the core of the onion before dicing it, since most of the bitterness is there Add tomatoes, avocado, lime juice and onions to a food processor, blend and reserve a bit of the diced onions and tomatoes In a bowl add the cilantro , the previous mix and the onions and tomatoes you saved before along with some salt and pepper give it a good mix and its good to go! That is it guy a recipe you can do in a flash, as I mentioned before I love avocado , I am always looking for a chance to eat it, so if you like avocado as me comment below! Some tools/ingredients used on this recipe:
Hello dear readers , today I will share with you my recipe of “Arroz Tapado”, This dish is basically meat and rice , I try to give it a little twits by stuffing some Peppers with some Arroz Tapado , I think you will like this recipe , best of all is that it can be done in a flash. Some tools/Ingredients I used , will be at the bottom of the post “Arroz Tapado” Stuffed Peppers | Servings 4 Ingredients : Steps: Halve your peppers then scoop the inside , add salt , some oil in the inside and outside(Optional) In a hot pot add 2 tablespoons of oil , add meat give it a stir and let it cook for 3 then add onions, garlic and panca paste let it cook for 5 min. Once its cooked add carrots , peas, rice, broth , cumin , half of the parsley, salt and pepper, give it a stir then add eggs, olives, give it a stir , reserve. Stuff your Peppers then sprinkle some of the remaining parsley , then bake in a preheated oven at 350F /180C for 10 min. That is it guys , simple dish that you can prepare at home in a flash , I added some “Queso Fresco” on the top but that is completely optional , I also used some of the scooped pieces of the peppers , that is optional too, try this dish at home I know you will like it. Tools I used on this recipe
flan de coco is a delicious, Coconut Flan, simple recipe, I love Coconut and flan that is why this dessert is one of my favorites.
