Carimañolas — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Torpedo-shaped fritters made from seasoned yuca dough stuffed with spiced ground beef and cheese, deep-fried until crispy golden, a Caribbean Colombian breakfast favorite.

Ingredients

2 lbs yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, finely diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions

1 Boil the yuca chunks in salted water for 25 to 30 minutes until completely soft and tender, then drain well and remove the fibrous center core from each piece.
2 Mash the cooked yuca with the egg yolk and salt until you have a smooth, pliable dough, letting it cool enough to handle comfortably.
3 Prepare the filling by cooking the ground beef with onion, garlic, tomato, and cumin in a skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes until the beef is cooked through and the liquid has evaporated.
4 Take a portion of yuca dough, flatten it in your palm, place a spoonful of the beef filling and a pinch of cheese in the center, then shape it into a torpedo or football shape, sealing the edges.
5 Heat vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C) in a deep pot and fry the carimañolas in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are deep golden brown and crispy all over.
6 Drain on paper towels and serve hot with suero costeño (Colombian sour cream) or ají sauce for dipping.

Did You Know?

Carimañolas are named after the French Empress Caroline Murat ("Cari-Mañola" in local dialect), Napoleon's sister, who was said to have loved similar yuca fritters during the colonial era.