Recipe: Yuquitas Rellenas

If you are exceptionally weak when it  comes to snacks and enjoy little salty treats before a meal or just appetizers in general,Yuquitas Rellenas is a dish you must try. Keep reading to find out what is this delicious Peruvian dish and learn the easy recipe to have them in your mouth in no time. 

What are Yuquitas Rellenas?

The main ingredient for this dish is the yuca (it says it on the title), a root vegetable also known as manioc root. Yuca is from the family of potatoes, and just like them you can peel them and boil them. In Peru this vegetable is as important as potato and you can find it in many dishes. 

Basically,Yuquitas Rellenas are the tastier, exotic cousin of tater tots. Little crunchy, fried yuca balls filled with gooey and hot  cheese dipped in your favorite creamy sauce… is your mouth watering yet? 

This recipe forYuquitas Rellenas has a preparation time of 1 hour and a cooking time of 20 minutes, and it serves 4 to 6 portions. 

Ingredients for Yuquitas Rellenas 

• 2 lb of yuca or yuca root (1 kg) 
• 4 oz of cheese cut in ½ inch cubes. The cheese can be ‘queso fresco’, Cheddar, Mozzarella… (250 gr)
• 1 large egg, whole
• 4 garlic cloves minced or garlic paste. (You can find ithere) 
• 1 cup of flour or panko to bread the yuca. You can also use 2 slices of bread and 10 small saltine crackers
• 1 tablespoon of parsley leaves, finely chopped
• Your favorite kind of chili pepper sauce. You can find many types inhere. 
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• ½ cup of vegetable oil, for frying 
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Preparation 

• Take a large pot, fill it with salted water and put it on medium fire.

• Peel the yucca (or yuca root) perfectly and cut it into 3 inch long pieces.

• Add the yuca to the pot once the water is boiling and cook for about 20 minutes, until the yuca is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

• If you’re using chopped garlic you can add it in this step to let it boil along with the yuca.

• Drain the yuca with a colander and try to remove as many stems of the root as you can. Remove all the fibrous strings with a ricer.

• Keep mashing the yuca until it’s completely mashed. If you’re using garlic paste you can add it to the yuca in this step. 

• Season the mashed yuca with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

• Take 2 tablespoons of the mashed yuca and place them in your hand and knead well. With your hands still kneading, make the shape of a round tortilla, like forming a small well in the middle. 

• Place a small piece of cheese in the middle or ‘well’, add a bit of parsley and close it like an envelope. You can knead it into a round or oval shave. 

• Repeat this step with the remaining mashed yuca. 

• In a deep skillet or fryer, pour the ½ cup of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of olive oil and let it heat for a while. You can use more vegetable oil if you feel it needs more. 

• Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it lightly. Drop the yuquitas into the bowl and cover them completely in egg. 

• If you are using bread and saltine crackers, process them and mix them well before tossing the yuquitas into the mix. If you are using flour or panko, just toss the yuquitas directly so that they are well coated. 

• Now that the skillet or fryer is the right temperature, fry the yuca balls. Remember to turn them constantly and leaving enough space so that they reach an even golden brown color and go crispy from everywhere.

• Once they’re done, place them on a cooking rack or over a dish with paper towels, so that they can drain and the paper will absorb the excess oil. 

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Note: If you made yourYuquitas Rellenas a day before your event, you can reheat them or keep them warm in a 200-degree oven for 30 minutes, until you are ready to serve them. 

There you go! Yuquitas Rellenas can be served in a dish accompanied by the chili paste sauce you chose. Good choices are ají ama

rillo sauce, rocoto sauce; or you can even dip them in mayonnaise or guacamole. You can also prepare a traditional huancaína sauce and make your dish more Peruvian. Enjoy!