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.
Sarza Criolla “Peruvian Sauce”
Salsa Criolla or Sarza Criolla, is one of the simplest side dishes we have on Latin America, some of the ingredients are similar, like Onions, Chili or Pepper, Some kind of oil, and something acids like vinegar or lime juice. Today I will share with you how we prepare it in Peru.
Salsa Criolla is served with a lot of Peruvian dishes, it adds some acid, spicy and bitter flavors to the dishes and complements the flavors of others.
What exactly Salsa/Sarza Criolla is?
The literal translation would be “Criolla Sauce” however it is not a sauce or has the consistency of one, it is a Salsa or Sarza, just to give you an idea, it is similar to “Pico de Gallo”, nevertheless flavor and ingredients are different. Salsa Criolla has few ingredients, onions, cilantro, “ají” and lime juice.
What makes “Sarza Criolla” special?
As I mentioned before, it complements a lot of dishes, by adding some acidity and a touch of spiciness, it can also boost flavors if your dish has some spiciness on it, making it even tastier.
Can I replace it with other ingredients?
Yes, you could use white onions, and jalapeño or other mild/sweet pepper you have on hand, you could also use lemon or vinegar instead of lime.
Can I make it ahead?
Not really, Lime and salt will “cook” your ingredients and after some minutes ingredients will start losing color and start to bleed out. a great way to “make it ahead” is to have all the ingredients ready but mixed when is going to be used, Sarza Criolla is meant to be eaten fresh, but if for any reason you need it to make it last longer, reduce the amount of salt and use vinegar instead of lime.
"Salsa Criolla"
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Big Red Onion julienned
- 1 "Ají Amarillo" or "Ají Limo" or Any other Chili no seeds, rings
- 2 Limes juiced
- 2 tbsps Cilantro leaves chiffonade
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a strainer put your onions and wash them in running water for about 3 min, taste them if they are still bitter repeat the process. then put into a bowl.
- In the Same bowl add your chili, cilantro, give it a stir.
- Then add your salt, Pepper and lime Juice, give it a try, adjust seasoning if needed. it should be acid and salty and at the same time.
- Serve with your favorite dish
Video
Notes
Ingredients are really simple, Sarsa Criolla has to have the perfect balance between salty and acid.
Get your ingredients ready, most people mince the chili however I like to cut the Ají Lim on rings in that way people can take them out if they do not like spicy stuff.
Once it is done, serve it right away
Salsa Criolla is one of those game-changers side dishes, it can make your meals way better, try it out with Tacu Tacu or Arroz con Pollo, I love how they complement with Salsa Criolla.
Would you like to try Salsa Criolla? Comment below
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