Homemade Stuffed Caigua with Creole Stew

50 min
Caigua Rellena is a classic dish from the Peruvian Creole recipe book. It consists of caiguas, a native vegetable with a mild flavor and a texture similar to a bell pepper, which are hollowed out and filled with a tasty and hearty stew. The traditional filling is prepared with minced beef, sautéed in a dressing of onion, tomato and Peruvian chillies (panca and yellow), and is enriched with hard-boiled eggs and olives. The already filled caiguas are finished simmering in the same sauce as the stew, remaining tender and absorbing all the flavor. It is served hot, usually accompanied by white rice.

INGREDIENTES

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3
Porciones

HERRAMIENTAS

  • + Blanching pot
  • + Large, deep frying pan with lid.
  • + Cutting board and knife.
  • + Spoon.

INSTRUCCIONES

Step 1:

Prepare the Caiguas. Cut the caiguas in half lengthwise (or just the top if you prefer to fill them whole). Using a spoon, carefully remove all the seeds and white veins inside, leaving them hollow.

Step 2:

Whiten. In a pot of boiling water and a pinch of salt, immerse the cleaned caiguas for just 30 seconds. This process is called whitening and it helps to soften them slightly and to fix their green color. Remove them and drain them.

Step 3:

Seal the Meat. Season the minced meat with salt, pepper and cumin. Heat a jet of oil in the pan over high heat and seal the meat until well browned. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Step 4:

Make the dressing. In the same skillet, add a little more oil if necessary. Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent. Add the tomato and cook for a few more minutes.

Step 5:

Building Flavor. Add the ají panca, yellow pepper and tomato pastes to the dressing. Season with salt, pepper and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle the oregano.

Step 6:

Attach the Filler. Return the browned meat to the pan and mix it well with the dressing. Turn off the heat and add the hard-boiled egg and chopped olives. Blend gently.

Step 7:

Fill and Cook. Using a spoon, generously fill each half of the caigua with the meat stew. Arrange the stuffed caiguas in the same pan, over the rest of the stew. Add a splash of water or broth to the bottom of the pan to create steam.

Step 8:

Final Stew. Cover the pan, lower the heat to a minimum and let everything cook together for 10 minutes. This will finish cooking the caiguas and allow all the flavors to merge.

Step 9:

Serve. Serve one or two stuffed caigua halves per plate, accompanied by white rice and drizzled with the sauce from the stew.

TIPS

  • + The Sweet Touch: A secret for many grandmothers to fill caigua is to add a handful of black raisins along with the egg and olives. It gives a delightful sweet contrast.
  • + Caigua Cleaning: Make sure to thoroughly remove all the white veins inside the caigua, as they have a slightly bitter taste.
  • + The Meat: Ask the butcher to chop your meat with a knife instead of using ground beef. The texture of the filling will be much better.
  • + Bleaching: Don't skip the bleaching. It's a quick step that makes a difference in the final texture of the caigua, leaving it tender but not undone.