Papas Rellenas: Potato Balls with Beef

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waivio_hivecooking3 months ago3 min read

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Discover a classic Bolivian street food with this Papas Rellenas recipe, featuring wholesome mashed potato balls filled with a flavorful mix of ground beef, vegetables, and cheese. Served with a vibrant "ahogado" sauce and paired with a fresh side salad adorned with crispy beetroot chips, this dish is a delightful explosion of flavors and textures.

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Potato Balls (Papas Rellenas):
🥔 8 large Imilla potatoes, peeled and quartered
🧅 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
🥩 125g ground beef
🥕 1 medium carrot, finely chopped and boiled
🌿 12 pea pods
🍃 1/4 teaspoon cumin
⚫ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
🌶️ 1 teaspoon paprika (aji rojo)
🧀 125g Vallegrandino cheese, grated
🥚 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved

For the Batter:
🥚 2 eggs
🍚 1 1/2 cups plain white flour
💧 1 cup water
🧂 1 teaspoon salt
🌶️ 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika (aji rojo dulce)

For the "Ahogado" (Cooked Sauce):
🧅 Red onion, sliced
🫑 Green bell pepper, sliced
🧄 Garlic, minced
🍅 Tomato, chopped
⚫ Black pepper
🧂 Salt
🌶️ Aji colorado (paprika)
💧 Water

For the Side Salad:
🌱 Yuyu (purslane) or spinach
🧅 Onion, sliced
🍅 Tomato, sliced
🧂 Salt
⚫ Black pepper
🫒 Vegetable or olive oil

For Salad Decoration:
🧀 Creole cheese, diced
🍠 1 beetroot, finely sliced
🫒 Olive oil

Instructions

1- Papas Rellenas Filling and Potatoes:

Boil peeled and quartered potatoes until tender.
While potatoes boil, heat vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the ground beef. Stir in boiled carrot, peas, cumin, black pepper, paprika, and salt. Cook for a few more minutes, then set aside.
Hard boil eggs, then peel and halve them. Grate the cheese.
Once potatoes are tender, drain and mash them thoroughly.
Form a portion of mashed potatoes into a disc, add the filling, cheese, and half an egg. Enclose and shape into a ball. Repeat for remaining ingredients.

2- Ahogado (Cooked Sauce):

Sauté sliced onion in a pot until softened.
Add bell pepper, garlic, and tomatoes. Cook for several minutes.
Season with pepper, salt, and aji colorado. Add water, simmer until sauce thickens.

3- Batter and Frying:

Whisk eggs, salt, and sweet paprika. Gradually add flour and water to form a smooth batter.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. Dip potato balls in batter and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

4- Side Salad and Decoration:

Toss yuyu or spinach, onion, and tomato. Season with salt, pepper, and oil. Mix well.
Use a mandoline to slice beetroot and fry in olive oil for chips.

5- Plating:

Serve Papas Rellenas topped with ahogado sauce, garnished with parsley and diced cheese.
Present the salad with beetroot chips and more cheese.

Prep Time: Approximately 40 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: About 4 servings
Equipment: Wooden and plastic cutting boards, stainless steel pot, metal slotted spoon, non-stick frying pan, silicone spatula, potato masher, mixing bowl, whisk, deep frying pan, mandoline slicer, traditional ceramic serving bowls, blue speckled enamelware plates, notably a Bosch oven in the background