In Peru, this pancake of leftover rice and canary beans is often served in individual portions topped with meat or eggs. We like to keep it vegan!
SERVES 2
Equipment needed: mixing bowl, chopping board, chefs knife, skillet, food processor, spatula
Total Time: 30minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 small red onion (half thinly sliced, half chopped)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons aji Amarillo paste or 3 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
- 3 tablespoons grape-seed oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups cooked or canned canary beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cold cooked white rice
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Method:
- For salsa Criolla: Combine sliced onion with cold water to cover. Let sit 10 minutes; drain. Toss sliced onion with cilantro, lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon aji Amarillo paste.
- Pour 1 tablespoon grape-seed or vegetable oil into a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high. Stir in chopped onion and garlic; sauté until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon aji Amarillo paste; scrape into bowl of a food processor. Wipeout skillet.
- Add 1 cup of beans to the food processor; puree briefly until mostly smooth but still chunky. Scrape into a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup of beans, rice, parsley, and oregano. Season to taste.
- Set the same skillet over medium and pour in 1 tablespoon grape-seed oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add bean mixture and use a spatula to lightly pack it down. Cook until deeply browned on the bottom, 7 minutes. Remove from heat, invert a plate on top of the skillet and carefully flip to turn bean mixture onto a plate, browned side up. Set skillet back over medium, pour in 1 tablespoon grape-seed oil and slide bean mixture back into skillet. Cook until browned, 7 minutes more. Remove from heat, invert a plate on top of the skillet, and flip. Top with salsa Criolla; serve hot with lime wedges.