Recipe: Peruvian fried rice and beans | Tacu Tacu | Easy to Make | Video

Hello all! I hope you had a very nice week. Last week I was still in New York. Right now I'm feeling a little guilty because I did not go to the gym all week, although I did some exercise from home using elastic bands. No need to film that.

Tacu tacu

To get back on track, I am very happy to share this week’s recipe for a Peruvian Tacu Tacu. After several failed attempts, I have learned to make it and I will share how in today’s post.

For my non-Peruvian friend, tacu tacu is a fried mixture of rice and legumes, commonly beans although it can also be lima beans or others. They originate from our Afro-Peruvian ancestors, and the name comes from the Quechua word "Tikuy", meaning "to mix one thing with another". This, according to the Dictionary of traditional Peruvian cuisine.

But we are not the only ones who like to mix up our rice with beans. There are similar dishes all over the world, like Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, among others.

Ingredients
2 cups of cooked beans or other legumes - here is a recipe for Peruvian Style Beans
2 cups cooked rice
½ cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon of Peruvian pepper (optional) - this can be yellow or pancha chili
Oil

Preparation
Bring the beans and rice together in a bowl. Let sit.


Sauté the onion and garlic in an oiled pan. Optionally add the Peruvian pepper to the pan.


Add the bean mix to the skillet and combine.


Reduce the temperature and let it brown. You can move the pan back and forth, with quick movements so that the they form one mass.

The tacu tacu can be decorated with chopped cilantro leaves, and served with a meat and vegetables. It goes very well with Peruvian Sauteed Chicken or Beef, fried steak, or seco stew.

Tacu tacu con pollo saltado

Serves 2-3 people.