Tacu Tacu — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A crispy pan-fried cake of leftover rice and beans, golden-crusted outside and creamy within, served with a fried egg and salsa criolla.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup cooked canario or lima beans
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ají amarillo paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 fried eggs
Salt and pepper
Salsa criolla for serving

Instructions

1 Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil until softened. Add ají amarillo paste and cook 1 min.
2 Add cooked beans, mash roughly with a fork. Fold in cooked rice, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper.
3 Heat remaining oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
4 Press the rice-bean mixture into the pan, forming a thick cake. Cook 4-5 min until golden-crusted.
5 Flip carefully and cook the other side until crispy, about 4 min.
6 Serve topped with a fried egg and salsa criolla.

Did You Know?

Tacu tacu comes from the Quechua word "takuy" meaning to mix — it was born from the genius of Afro-Peruvian cooks turning leftovers into a beloved staple.