Peruvian Dessert - Peruvian Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)

Arroz con Leche, the Peruvian version of rice pudding, is a popular and extremely sweet essert. Brought to Peru by the Spanish conquerors, it's made with simple ingredients like rice, weetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. A delicious and simple to prepare goody.

Every mum and cook has its own recipe for Arroz con Leche here in Peru with at least one  secret" ingredient. Nevertheless we compiled an easy to follow recipe that brings a delicious Peruvian dessert to your home. Only  drawback: you are confined to the stove for quite some time stirring your rice pudding.

Arroz con Leche - Peru Tours

Ingredients

• 200 g rice (1 cup)
• 650 ml water
• juice of 1 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1 tin evaporated milk (400 ml)
• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk (400 ml)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• cinnamon powder

Preparation

Pour the water into a heavy saucepan. Add the juice of one orange, the cinnamon stick and the cloves. Bring to a boil. Wash the rice thoroughly and add to the boiling water. Bring to a boil again. Then reduce heat and let simmer without lid until the water is gone and the rice is soft (about 15 – 20 minutes) Remove the cloves and the cinnamon stick.

Add the evaporated milk. Constantly stirring, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer continuing stirring until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes). Then add the sweetened condensed milk. Without stopping to stir, continue cooking over low heat until your rice pudding gets creamy (about 10 minutes). Stir in the vanilla essence.

Fill the rice pudding in a bowl or small glasses, sprinkle with cinnamon powder and serve hot or cold.

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Peruvian Recipes - Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado is one of the most popular Peruvian dishes and symbolizes like no other the fusion of Peruvian ingredients with Asian techniques of preparing food. Lomo Saltado is made of sliced beef stir stir-fried with red onions, tomatoes, yellow Peruvian chilies (aji amarillo), soy sauce, vinegar and cilantro. Mixed with French fries and served with rice Lomo Saltado can be found in simple restaurants and up-scale places alike.

Lomo Saltado - Peru tours

Ingredients for 3 to 4 persons

• 500g beef tenderloin or sirloin
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 red onions
• 2 aji amarillo / yellow Peruvian chili pepper (optional, but highly recommended) if you can't get it you can use any other mild yellow, orange or red chili pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 500g potatoes
• deep-frying oil
• 1 – 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 – 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• dash of lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Cut meat into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a little bit of pepper, stir. Let marinate.

Cut onions lengthwise into strips, deseed tomatoes and cut as well lengthwise into strips, deseed the aji amarillo (or other chili pepper) and cut in thin strips. Place onions, tomatoes and chili into a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, stir and let marinate.

Peel potatoes and cut into French fries, fry until cross. Set aside.

Preheat a big sauté pan or wok, add the meat and stir-fry over high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve the juice. Add the onions, tomatoes and aji and after a minute the reserved juice, 1 to 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and red wine vinegar. Stir-fry until the vinegar is evaporated and the onions and tomatoes start to soften (but they should stay al dente). Add fresh chopped cilantro, a dash of lime juice and prepared French fries. Serve with rice.

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Peruvian Recipes - Ceviche

Recipe for Peruvian Ceviche (for 2 - 3 persons)

Ingredients for Peruvian Ceviche - Peru Tours

• 400 g semi firm, white, sea water fish filet (sea bass, sole, flounder)
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 small aji limo (you could substitute with habanero pepper)
• 1/4 to 1/2 aji amarillo (optional)
• 8 Peruvian limes (key limes will do)
• salt
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 boiled ear of corn, cut into thick slices
• 1 boiled sweet potato, cut into thick slices
• lettuce
• fresh chopped coriander or parsley

Preparation of Peruvian Ceviche - Peru Holidays

• First prepare your ingredients: deseed and devein aji and chop very fine, slice onion into thin strips, cut limes in half and the fish evenly into bite sized pieces. Use a left over piece of the aji and rub the sides of a bowl with it. Toss fish and onions into the bowl. Add the ice cubes. Season with salt and chopped aji. Squeeze half of the limes directly into the bowl. Then mix all ingredients together. Remove ice cubes before they are starting to melt. Squeeze the rest of the limes into the bowl, stir and leave to marinate in the fridge for not more than 10 minutes.

• Quickly place the ceviche on a plate, garnish with lettuce, corn and sweet potato. Sprinkle with chopped coriander or parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy the simplicity and freshness of Peru's national dish!

• By the way the marinade used for Ceviche is called Leche de Tigre. Peruvians spoon it when they have finished their Ceviche or drink a small glass of it easing the pain after a long night out.

Preparation Tips

• Ceviche is probably one of the easiest and quickest dishes to prepare and surely makes an impression, at least if you follow some very simple rules
• Use only the freshest, semi firm, white fleshed sea water fish like sea bass, sole or flounder.
• Don't use oily fish like tuna, sardines or mackerel.
• Cut the fish filet evenly (!) into bite sized pieces, so it cooks evenly (yes, the lime juice really cooks your fish, denaturing the proteins similar to the heating process.)
• Use fresh limes. Squeeze them only half to avoid bitterness.
• Don't overdo it with the chili pepper; Ceviche should be a perfect balance between the refreshing acidity of the lime and the spiciness of the aji.
• Nowadays Latin American food shops and even some local markets sell Peruvian ingredients, but if you can't get Aji Limo you could substitute it with habanero peppers.
• Let the fish marinate for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Then it's perfectly cooked; firm outside, but still tender and moist in the interior.

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