We Visited Inka Fé – Restaurant Review
This post is a sum up of our visit to Inka Fé, a Peruvian bakery in Great Neck, Long Island
“Caigua Rellena”
Caigua, stuffed with beef, and veggies, served over rice.
“Anticuchos”
Beef heart skewers, marinated in spices and in a Peruvian pepper paste, served with potatoes/corn with a spicy sauce.
“Seco de Mariscos”
“Seco de Mariscos”, is a creamy stew with some seafood, great aroma, and texture in one quick dish.
“Lasagna de Ají de Gallina”
Ají de Gallina (Creamy spicy hen stew) turned into a Lasagna
“Pollo a la Brasa”
Peruvian blackened chicken, rotisserie chicken, one of the most iconic Peruvian dishes.
“Causa Escabechada”
Causa Escabechada, Spicy Sour Potato dough, served with Fish Escabeche on top
“Chupe de Camarones”
Chupe de Camarones, Peruvian style shrimp soup, has a thick texture, has some sweet, spicy, flavors.
“Kam Lu Wantan”
Chifa dish, saute meats and veggies served with a sweet-sour tamarind sauce and wontons.
“Pan con Chicharron”
Pan con chicharron is a pork belly sandwich, full of textures and flavors!
¿En otro idioma? – Different lang?
“Tacu Tacu de Lentejas”
Today I will be sharing my recipe of “Tacu Tacu de Lentejas”. this recipe is similar to a regular Tacu Tacu this time we will be using Lentils instead of beans.
Tacu Tacu is one of my favorite dishes, it is so simple and yet so delicious, I made this dish a couple of times, on gatherings and people can’t believe that is just rice and lentils.
I always take any opportunity to share the Peruvian cuisine with as many people as I can, when I left my country I felt that it was my duty as a Peruvian Cook to do that, I participated (twice) on an International Food Festival on a college in IL. there I prepared Tacu Tacu, I shape them as little balls and served them with Salsa Criolla people couldn’t believe when I told them that it was just made of rice and beans, I prepared about 130 servings and it run-out in seconds, If you are looking to try a new way to eat lentils this recipe is definitely for you.
What makes this dish different from a regular Tacu Tacu?
Nowadays, on Peru everyone is trying to be more creative by changing the main ingredients of a dish with the ones they have on hand or applying modern cooking techniques to ancient dishes, this recipe is simple and the main difference between a regular Tacu Tacu and a Lentil Tacu Tacu is the flavor, Lentil has a unique flavor, it is less starchy than beans and it absorbs more water of it’s cooking liquid, that is why you should season your cooking liquid.
"Tacu Tacu de Lentejas"
Ingredients
- 4 cups of Cooked Lentils
- 6 cups of Cooked Rice
- 1 Red onion diced
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cups of minced Scallions white part
- 1/4 cup of chopped Scallions green part
- 2 tablespoons of "Ají Amarillo" paste
- teaspoon of Cumin
- teaspoon of Paprika
- Salt & Pepper
- Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- In a hot pan add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add onion, scallions, garlic let it cook until tender then add "ají Amarillo" paste and let it cook for another 3 min, then reserve.
- In a bowl add rice, lentils, cooked veggies, seasoning, and mush them with a potato musher.
- Shape your Tacu Tacu dough into football balloon shapes.
- Then in a hot pan add 3 tablespoons of oil and cook your Tacu Tacu, 2 min per side, then reserve.
- Serve with
Sarsa Criolla or "Pollo Saltado"
Notes
- Lentils do not require to soak overnight, making this a really quick Tacu Tacu recipe.
- Season your lentil water in that way, you will be creating more layers of flavor, you could season it with cumin, pepper, a few chili flakes, paprika, garlic powder.
The key for many Peruvian dishes is a properly cooked “Aderezo”, let the onions, garlic, and Ají Amarillo paste cook properly in that way they will caramelize and add more flavor to your dishes., be sure to cook them and low-medium heat, burned onion can overpower almost any flavor and it might ruin your Tacu Tacu.
be gentle with your seasoning, do not hesitate to add more if you feel like it.
This might not be the “traditional” way of making a Tacu Tacu, however, it saves time and makes it easier for the ones that never made this dish before.
Sever it with a Lomo Saltado, Pollo Saltado, Salsa Criolla, or if you want to go full vegetarian with this dish you could serve it with our Vegetarian Lomo Saltado.
What are your thoughts, about this dish? comment below
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