Appetizer Abril Family recipe

LLAPINGACHOS

This is a staple Ecuadorian dish that my family loves to make as well as eat not only during the holidays but year-round. I have the fondest memories making these with my mom and grandmother and now enjoy making it with my son 🙂

SERVINGS: 10
PREP TIME: 30 Minute(s)
COOK TIME: 25 Minute(s)

Ingredients

  • 5 Large Potatoes
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 2 medium slices of mozzarella cheese
  • ½ teaspoon Achiotina (picture below for reference, can be any brand)
  • Vegetable oil

ENCEBOLLADO (RED ONION SAUCE)

  • 1 medium red onion
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium tomato
  • Cilantro (1 small bunch or couple of leaves, depends on preference)
  • Avocado slice (optional)

SALSA DE MANI (PEANUT SAUCE):

  • 1 medium white onion
  • 1 scallion
  • Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon of Achiotina
  • 1 teaspoon of peanut butter (any brand)
  • 1 hardboiled egg
  • 1 quart of an ounce of milk

Steps

  1. Peel potatoes, cut in chunks and bring to a boil in a large pot (add salt to water).
  2. Once potatoes are boiled (test by checking to see if they are soft), drain potatoes from water and put in a mixing bowl.
  3. In the mixing bowl, add achiotina, mozzarella cheese, salt (if needed) and begin mashing potatoes.
  4. Once all ingredients are fully mashed (potatoes turn yellow color), start forming them into little balls and then flatten them out (i.e. like a hamburger patty). Note, you can eat them as is if preferred or fry them up.
  5. Coat frying pan with vegetable oil, not too much, and put on medium heat.
  6. Once hot, place the llapingachos in the pan and begin to fry. Let fry for a few minutes until it gets a little brown coating and then flip and repeat.
  7. You’re all done and have Ecuadorian llapingachos! Some people eat it with special peanut sauces or onion sauce on top, but I prefer it plain.

ENCEBOLLADO

  1. Slice onion and then rinse in cold water.
  2. In a bowl, add lemon juice to onions then let it sit for 5 minutes.
  3. Add salt (to taste) and mix it together and let it sit for 15 minutes, keep tossing throughout this time until onions are soft.
  4. Dice tomatoes and cilantro (very thinly).
  5. Mix it all together and add more salt if needed.
  6. Serve on top of llapingacho and for added flavor serve with a slice of avocado and/or optional fried egg.

SALSA DE MANI

  1. Boil the hardboiled egg.
  2. Slice onion and put in a pot to boil (add salt to water) until soft, approximately 10 minutes.
  3. Drain the onion and put in a bowl.
  4. Dice the scallion.
  5. In a saucepan, put the diced scallion and achiotina in 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil on low heat.
  6. Once scallions are boiling, add peanut butter and stir to dissolve peanut butter.
  7. Add milk to saucepan once peanut butter is fully dissolved and let the milk sit for 1 minute.
  8. Add the onions to the saucepan and let sit for a minute.
  9. Simultaneously, dice the hardboiled egg and add it to the pan and mix together.
  10. Ready to serve on top of llapingacho and as a garnish add cilantro leaf.