Where it comes from
A pre-Hispanic Native American dish traditional across the Andes including Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina; the name means little steamed thing and Ecuadorian versions often include cheese.
On the plate
Soft and moist with the milky sweetness of fresh corn, each cake melts with pockets of warm cheese and carries the gentle perfume of the husk it steamed in. The texture sits between a custard and a cake, comforting and lightly savory.
How it works
Grinding fresh corn releases its natural starches and sugars, while eggs and cheese set during steaming to bind the loose mash into a tender cake. Steaming inside the husk traps moisture and infuses a subtle grassy aroma without drying the corn out.
Variations
sweet versions add sugar and raisins, savory ones add more cheese or onion, sizes and husk-folding styles vary by region
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 8
How it's made
7 steps · Show ↓30 min active · 45 min waiting
How it's made
7 steps · Show ↓- 115 min
Carefully peel the husks from fresh corn and reserve the largest ones as wrappers.
- 215 min
Cut the kernels off the cobs and grind them coarsely.
- 38 min
Saute onion in butter until soft and stir into the ground corn.
- 47 min
Beat in eggs, crumbled cheese, a little cream and salt to make a thick batter.
- 515 min
Place a spoonful of batter onto each corn husk and fold into a sealed packet.
- 65 min
Stand the packets upright in a steamer over simmering water.
- 745 min
Steam for about 40 to 45 minutes until firm and set, then rest briefly before unwrapping.
