Traditional Peruvian dish of leftover mashed beans and rice, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Top it with an egg and one of the most popular Peruvian condiments of onions, chilies and limon.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic to oil. Cook until tender and lightly browned, about five minutes. Add the aji amarillo paste and oregano. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked beans and rice.
Use a fork or masher to mash the beans and stir until the mixture comes together. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool until you can handle it without burning yourself.
Shape and cook tacu tacu
Use a ¼ cup measure to scoop out the rice and bean mixture . Place onto a lightly oiled or sprayed baking sheet with some space in between so you can easily turn them over later.
Shape into oval shapes and flatten a little with your fingers.
Place into a 400 degree F oven and cook for thirty minutes. Flip them over halfway through the cooking time.
When ready, cook your eggs as desired and serve up the tacu tacu with egg and salsa criolla.
Salsa Criolla
Cut the ends of onion and remove the outside paper layer. Cut onion in half and remove the smaller compact pieces in the center. Then slice the outer layers of onion into thin strips from lengthwise.
Season the sliced onion with salt, cover with cold water and soak for five minutes. Then drain well and rinse.
Add lemon juice, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt. aji amarillo, oil and cilantro. Mix well.
Notes
Tips for best results:Use leftover beans and rice. These tend to soften or get more sticky as they sit making the tacu tacu a little bit easier to form.Make sure your beans are cooked enough so they will easily mash and work as some glue to hold the mixture together.Eat it right away. It tastes best when hot and fresh. You can save leftovers but note that it won’t likely hold its shape but it still tastes amazing.