Each Peruvian meal carries a spicy, sweet and smooth touch, this is thanks to the different presentations of the Aji Panca and its immense flavor and color.
El panca chili, also called special chili, is a large red or dark colored ajiaco of Peruvian origin. It is commonly grown on the coast of Peru and is approximately 8 to 3 centimeters long and 2.5 to 3 wide, contains a leather and thick meat and depending on its gestation process, it varies from green, yellow to deep red.
It also comes especially from the class Capsicum chinense that is planted in various areas of Peru such as Tacna, Pasco, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Ica and Oxapampa, cities where in addition to producing it, they generate creams, foundations and even powders in factories immersed in each zone.
Ají Panca Recipe (in pasta)
Ingredients
- ½ kilos of Ají Panca
- ¼ cup oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Materials
- 1 plastic bowls or cups
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon
- Dish towel
- Hermetic pack with lid
Preparation
- Start washing with plenty of water to each chili.
- Then, open the peppers one by one and remove the seeds and trunks
- return to wash and reserve them in a pot
- Add water to the pot so that it covers all the peppers completely
- Turn on the fire and cook for 30 minutes or until the water boils
- Remove the peppers and let them drain on top of a colander
- Put the oil in the blender, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut the bell peppers to a size that the blender can easily destroy. Blend everything until smooth, without large lumps
- Pour the paste into an airtight container with a lid or a reusable glass jar. Store in the fridge and use it to season, cook meats, grill or marinate fish, as a marinade or natural spice
Tips for making a better Ají Panca pasta
To make a good pasta of Aji Panca, it is necessary to follow the following recommendations, which we do not expose because they are simple comments, but are suggestions from chefs and experts In the area. Some of these are:
- The utmost care must be taken when washing the chili peppers, first of not leaving any seeds or veins, since it will make the preparation bitter and increase the itching; and secondly, you must be thorough when do not pass the hand by the eyes, mouth or face in general, since it will cause an instant and uncomfortable itch
- When choosing chili peppers, you have to select those that have a deep red or chocolate color, since this tonality indicates that they are well ripe
- If at any time the chili pepper gives off a strong or damaged odor, this will not work for the sauce as it would damage the preparation because it is not completely healthy
- Keep in mind that between the chili pepper is minced smaller, better it will be processed by the blender
- The oil that can be used for the preparation can be of sunflower, olive, palm or vegan oil
- For a more intense and different flavor, you can add touches of chopped nutmeg, onion, chives, or cilantro. Also, if the concentration is not indicated or preferred, you can add one or two tablespoons of cornstarch
Nutritional contribution
The main ingredient in this recipe is Aji Panca, which can become insignificant in terms of nutrition. However, we are wrong if we say that this little food does not contribute anything to our body.
That is why, below, we present a summary of your nutritional contribution according to the amount to consume:
- Calories 189 gr
- Water 8 gr
- Carbohydrates 58.5 gr
- Proteins
- 7 gr
- Total fat 7.9 gr
- Fiber 28.7 gr
- Ash 6.5 gr
- Calcium 124 mg
- Phosphorus 209 mg
- Iron
- 4.9 mg
- Thiamine 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin 1.79 mg
- Niacin 3.55 mg
- Ascorbic acid 23 mg
Uses of chili paste
This type of chili has unlimited utilities depending on the state in which it is found. In the case of natural chili, without alterations in its composition, it is used as flavoring and spicy for various dishes in South America, although it is not very common to use huge quantities due to its high heat.
When we talk about chili paste, this is the perfect additive to wrap a meat that is going to be roasted, a chicken in the oven or to marinate fish and shellfish. In addition, it is the perfect touch to dress a pasta and is the secondary ingredient to flavor a cream. The chili paste It has a more commercial use, due to the fact that the itch content is lower and its texture is in a more malleable state to use at any time and place.
Finally, the chili powder It is a natural marinade, which can be integrated without volume or lumps in each recipe. In addition, season and marinate in anticuchos, escabeches, carapulcas and in pachamancas, pirihuela and in chanfainitas.
On a commercial level, in any of its presentations, the Aji Panca It is used to prepare sausages, fish products and even vegan and healthy snacks.
Properties of Ají Panca
El Aji Panca has high doses of beta carotenes and vitamin C. In this case, beta-carotenes are known to provide an excellent amount of vitamins B and B6, in addition to having antioxidant properties that help counteract old age and different types of cancer, such as breast, stomach, prostate cancer, among others.
At the same time, it contributes bioflavonoids, elements that are essential for cell growth and production, contributing to the health of organs and blood vessels, especially.
Solutions to replace the Ají Panca
If at some point we don't have the Aji Panca Inside our kitchen, there is nothing to worry about, since the pasta can be made in the same way as the recipe explains, but with another pepper. These might be:
- California chili
- Tomatillo chili
- Yellow pepper
