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.
Peruvian Pumpkin stew made with Macre” Pumpkin (a type Cucurbita Maxima ), A starchy, creamy, sweet stew with a touch of spiciness.
Seco de Res is a Peruvian beef stew with a bold green base of blended cilantro, spinach, and ají amarillo, cooked low and slow with beef broth and beer. Served with white rice, boiled potatoes, and Salsa Criolla.
Bistec a lo Pobre, is a simple dish with 3 key ingredients: Beef, Fried Eggs, and Plantains.
Hello lovely readers today I am today sharing with my recipe of Lima Beans stew, for the ones that do not know Lima Beans are endemic from Peru meaning that is originally from that country, this lovely ingredients can be used a lot of dishes and today we are making a really easy one pot recipe. Some tools/Ingredients I used , will be at the bottom of the post Lima Beans Stew | Servings: 4 Ingredients : Steps: In a Pot at medium/low add 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil , onion, garlic, tomatoes, ají panca paste let it cook for 6 min. once its cooked add broth , Lima beans , spices and let it cook (with a lid on) for 10 mnutes or until Lima beans are tender but not mushy! That is it folks simple dish , it does not require a lot of effort , I love Lima beans they are really versatile and nutritious. Tools I used on this recipe
Dear readers!, today I will share with you one delicious recipe with Wheat berry , this stew is really common in Peru, it has many variations, some of them add potatoes, chicken, meat or other ingredients to this recipe. as a cook I know that having too many carbohydrates in a dish its not good , that is why this recipe will use only Wheat berry as its main carbohydrate. Links for the ingredients / tools I use on this recipe will be at the bottom of the post Ingredients : Steps : Soak in water the wheat berry overnight In a pot add 2 tablespoons of oil, cook onions, garlic, “Aji amarillo paste” , until tender. about 5 min Once its cooked, rinse the wheat berry and add it to the previous mix , give it a stir ,add the bay leaf, the chicken broth or water, tablespoon of salt, put a lid on it and let it cook for at least 18 min, let the broth evaporate. Once its cooked , add milk , let it bring to a boil , add parsley and turn off the stove. Add some fresh cheese to the dish and some salt and pepper if needed, Enjoy! I think that is a great way to eat Wheat berry , if you cant soak the wheat berry overnight you can cook it on a pressure cooker , but it will take like 40 min to 1 hour , I know if you cook this dish at home you wont regret it. Some tools/ingredients used on this recipe:
Hello lovely readers today I am sharing with you my recipe of Stir fry wheat , this is similar to a “Arroz Chaufa” a.k.a fried rice , this dish is really simple to prepare and best of is that you can add all the veggies you want to it so it is really versatile. Some tools/Ingredients I used , will be at the bottom of the post “Chaufa de Trigo”| Servings: 4 Ingredients : 1 Cup of diced bell peppers 5 Tablespoons of soy sauce 1/2 Cup of spring onions leaves 2 Tablespoons of sesame oil Salt and Pepper Steps : In a pan add tablespoon of oil add your eggs, once are cook crumble them then reserve. In a hot wok add 2 tablespoons of oil , then cook your chicken for 2 min per side saute and reserve. In the same wok add 1 tablespoon of oil then add garlic , ginger and saute for a min then add peppers and snow peas let them cook for at least 2 min then add the cooked wheat and saute add also chicken , eggs , soy sauce , teaspoon of black pepper and saute , finish the dish with some sesame oil and spring onion leaves. That is it guys a different way to eat wheat , try it at home and do not forget to share this recipe! Some items I used on the recipe:
Crema de Zapallo is a Peruvian pureed pumpkin soup made with kabocha squash, butternut squash, ají amarillo, and evaporated milk. Light, creamy, and naturally sweet with a gentle heat from the pepper.
Arroz zambito is a creamy dessert made with rice, the raw sugar gives it’s unique color, the coconut, cinnamon and orange provide an exquisite aroma
