Patarashca of the jungle

La Patarashca of the jungle It is a dish whose origin is attributed to the aborigines and residents of Peru before the arrival of the Spanish.

In principle, these tribes prepared the dish with gigantic frogs, huaros, snakes and shrimp from the streams or rivers, which filled with various species, fruits and vegetables typical of the area and wrapped with leaves from trees and large plants, so that when in contact with the fire, the food absorbs all the juices of the plant.

However, upon the arrival of the colonizers and their men, whose cultures were not necessarily those of Europe, the dish took a more subtle turn, since now they would not be made with such rudimentary ingredients, but with the delicacy and elegance of a court dish. And as said before, this Patarashca mutated, and with the help of other ingredients typical of the old contain, it became a delight for opportune and foreigners.

Your name from Patarashka It originates from the Quechua language (ancient language of the most used in the Amazon region) which means to fold, paste or wrap, since its cooking method is inside a previously cooked leaf. And, the term from the jungle It refers to the place and type of environment where the tribes who prepared it were found.

This food is made from fish, which contains a large amount of important nutrients, which contributes to a healthy and balanced diet. It does not contain large portions of fat and its filling is pure vegetables finely cut and arranged raw inside. In addition, they are currently simmered in the kitchen but, in general, it is usually recreate a bonfire on the ground that completely surrounds the preparation.

However, here we will not only leave you with information about its ingredients, flavors and its history, but also the recipe Step by Step how to recreate this important dish.

Jungle Patarashca Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 fish according to your preference
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 green sweet peppers
• 4 bijao leaves (a plant from warm and humid places, with leaves similar to those of bananas, which are long and measure up to a meter)
• 2 finely chopped onions
• chopped coriander
• Buy
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Materials

• Mortar
• Two plastic bowls or cups
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Spoon
• Flat plate
• Dish towel
• Trays

Preparation

Start by cleaning the fish well. Remove all the scales and visors that it has inside by making a side cut. Rinse with enough water and when clean take it to a cup and proceed to season it with salt or pepper.

Next, in a bowl, mix the onion, the garlic, the oil, the cumin, a little salt and pepper, the chili and the coriander. All finely chopped.

Then, proceed to fill the fish with the previously prepared and still raw mixture. Carefully open it through the side cut and distribute all the stuffing inside, from the head to the tail.

Upon completion, wrap the stuffed animal inside the bijao leaves, if required, tie it with a wick or if not, just fold the leaves well so that nothing comes out.

Previously, make a campfire or bonfire where the fish is cooked When this is hot, place the wrapped fish on a griddle or grill above the fire and, taking into account that the bijao leaf does not open or damage, Let cook for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

When the time has elapsed, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the leaves and serve it complete on a tray with its respective companions on separate plates. If you want to give it a more local touch, leave a bijao leaf under the fish as decoration. Add lemon and taste.

Tips that will ease your life

When cooking, it is always necessary to take into account some good preparation tips, with which you can re-enhance each preparation in a simple and delicate way, which will make your dishes and presentations stand out in flavor, color, texture and presentation.

In turn, together with these suggestions, which are said by great chefs of Peruvian cuisine and fans of the stove that seek the improvements of each dish, you will achieve greater teachings that perhaps the recipe in general has not made clear or that, due to its rigorous nature, maintains ex centra of its parameters.

In this character, and in search that your dish comes out in the best way, today we present you a list of recommendations and suggestions so that your success is unattainable when it comes to assembling this delight and so you can also enlighten yourself about other techniques and practices for the realization of this dish that you have not previously acquired.

• When you buy the fish, make sure that it is fresh and what about him does not give off a strong or irritating odor. This also includes purchases of vegetables, be aware that everything is ripe and smooth, without unwanted odors and slimy textures
• This type of dish It can be accompanied with yucca, roasted plantain, fried or roasted potatoes, as well as with a white rice or a salad depending on the taste of lovers of this type of food
• Among one of the suggestions for this dish to have a more concentrated flavor, it is indicated season the fish 3 hours in advance or overnight. Marinate it in soy sauce or with lemon juice for an intense flavor or with a chili panca smoothie to add heat and roughness
• Es It is important that the bijao leaves are burned beforehand. Then it is necessary to wash them well, since at the time of burning it absorbs the smoke and ash and we do not want these details within the preparation. Make sure that each leaf is silky and soft, otherwise it cannot be folded or tied due to its fragility.

What nutrients does the dish provide?

The contribution of calories and vitamins that this dish brings together, vary between the amount of product and the type of food to be used. Some of the contributions that give our body its main ingredient, are summarized as follows:

For 100 grams of fish you get:

• Calories: 206 Kcal
• Total fat: 12 gr
• Fatty acid: 2.5 gr
• Sodium: 61 mg
• Potassium: 384 mg
• Proteins: 22 gr
• Vitamina C: 3.7 gr
• Iron: 0.3 gr
• Football: 15 gr
• Vitamina B6: 0.6 gr
• Magnesium: 30 gr
• Vitamina B: 2.8 gr

Similarly, the integration of various vegetables on the plate make it both delicious and varied, as excitingly colorful, resembling a cocktail for each of its ingredients.

In turn, all these vegetables support a compendium of vitamins and nutrients that favor the body and that contribute to its development. So too, they carry so much fiber as liquids that keep the muscles in good condition and allows them to grow and sustain.

And as if that were not enough, each of these products, whether onion, chili, coriander, garlic or tomato, as varied as they may be, are inclined to help the body inside and out, and in everything that it is not possible to observe, each unl acts as a antibiotic agent, contribute to the blood circulation, in the defense system maintenance and in the restoration of the immune system.

However, for you to know better his contribution to us, shortly a description of nutrients of the products immersed in the recipe:

100 grams of onion maintains advantages such as: 

• Vitamins A, B6, C and E
• Minerals like sodium, potassium, iron, dietary fiber and folic acid
• Vitamin B1, B2, B5, C
• carotenoids like lycopene

Among 100 grams of chili we observe:

• high concentration of vitamin C, A and B6
• Potassium 1178 mg
• Iron 398 mg
• magnesium and antioxidants 22.9-34.7 mg

For every 10 grams of coriander you get:

• Vitamin C 12 mg
• beta carotenes 340 Aug.
• Football 124 mg
• Phosphorus and Potassium 48 mg
• Iron 4 mg
• Selenium 3 mg
• Calories 27 Kcal

For 10 gr of garlic we have:

• Proteins 0.9 mg
• Iodine 0.3 mg
• Phosphorus and Potassium 1 mg
• Potassium 0.5 mg
• Vitamin B6 0.32 mg
• Sulfur compounds: allicin and sulfides

What are bijao leaves?

All the bijao leaves or maxán leaf are a part of the Calathea Luthea plant, which it is mainly used as a wrapper for various foods during cooking or simply for the conservation and care of sensitive or protein products.

These types of plants are commonly found in unsheltered sites or in swampy areas, along rivers in the Atlantic and central areas.. They flower and bear fruit throughout the year, but mainly from February to May in South America.

Each leaf serves both to wrap, and to give seasoning and flavor to the preparationsIt is also used to heal and seal wounds or as teas to relieve ailments in the body.

In Peruvian culture, this plant is revered by young and old due to its high nutritional level, its help to the body and its healing properties. Many today use them for preparations, where they are first cooked and roasted before being used and other cases simply take them as a necessity for discomfort.