Tacu Tacu

do this with your leftover beans and rice

Back with another Peruvian dish and this one is so simple and so good, you really have to make it. It’s called Tacu Tacu and it’s basically a pan-fried patty of leftover rice and beans. The edge bits get so nice a crispy and the runny fried egg and pickled onion compliment the dish perfectly. 

I’ve made this so many times already because I tend to always have leftover rice and I’ve been making a big batch of my mom’s beans most weeks. Usually this is served with a fried egg and salsa criollo, which is a Latin American salsa consisting of onions, vinegar, tomato, peppers, etc. but to keep things simple I like to do a quick pickled red onion.

Tacu Tacu

• 1.5 tbsps olive oil, divided

• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp aji panca paste*

• 1/2 tbsp aji amarillo paste*

• 1/2 cooked beans, here’s my recipe

• 1/4 cup white rice, preferably leftovers/ at least day old

• 1 egg + olive oil for frying

• Chives to serve

Quick Pickled Onions:

• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

• Juice of half a lime

• Pinch of salt

1. First prep you onions by tossing them together with the lime juice and salt. Set aside. 

   

2. Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a small non-stick pan over medium heat. Add onions and fry for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add the ají panca and ají amarillo and fry for 1-2 minutes more.

   

3. Stir in beans and rice and give them a rough mash with the back of your spatula. Push everything to one side of the pan, add the remaining olive oil to the pan and push the bean mixture overtop of it to give it a good fry, forming it into a long oval shape. 

   

4. Flip to cook on both sides until golden brown. Place a plate overtop of the pan, serving side down and flip the pan over with the plate to invert the tacu tacu onto the plate. 

   

5. Fry an egg in the leftover oil (add more oil if needed), pouring hot oil overtop to cook the whites but leave the yolk runny. Slide the egg on top of the Tacu Tacu and serve with the pickled onions. Enjoy!

*If you don’t have these pastes and can’t access them easily then feel free to experiment with spices. I’d do 1/4 tsp of cumin and 1/4 tsp of regular or smoked paprika! Not necessarily traditional but would still be delicious. 

For being so low effort, this dish looks stunning. Sometimes it really is the simple things. I hope you make this one, even if you don’t have all the special Peruvian pastes. Let me know (and send a pic) if you do and I’ll see you soon!

-Raquel xx

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