5 traditional Colombian recipes

For a foretaste of a trip to the other side of the world, here are our favorite traditional Colombian recipes. We suggest you cook these tasty dishes for the whole family. Find below our selection of 5 traditional Colombian recipes!

Patacones, flattened and fried plantains, accompany most Colombian dishes. They look like small yellow patties

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 green bananas (not ripe)
• garlic
• salt
• oil

To prepare the dish:

Cut each banana into 3 pieces, fry in an oil bath or deep fryer for 3/4 minutes (they should soften). Remove and drain. Prepare a bowl with water, crushed garlic and a little salt. Quickly toss the bananas in the mixture, then flatten each piece with a rolling pin (approx. 1cm thick). Dip the bananas back into the oil and allow to brown. Drain, season with salt and serve as an aperitif or as a garnish for fish and seafood.

A speciality of the Colombian Caribbean coast, coconut rice is a delicious accompaniment to fish or seafood

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 500g white rice
• 1 coconut or 250 ML unsweetened coconut milk and 100g grated coconut.
• 2 tablespoons panela or brown sugar
• 1l water
• salt

To prepare the dish:

Blend 1/2 coconut (or half the coconut milk and half the grated coconut) with 250ml water. Heat the panela or sugar in a saucepan with the sieve mixture. Blend the other half of the coconut (or the remaining milk and coconut) with the remaining water. Strain and add to the pan. Small pieces of caramel (cocada) should come away. Season with salt. Bring to the boil and pour in the rice. Top up with water if necessary, depending on the rice used. Serve with fish.

Arepa is a type of bread made from corn flour. It’s certainly the food Colombians eat most, especially in the Coffee Region and Medellín. There is a wide variety of arepas: arepa de huevos (egg arepa), arepa de choclo (yellow corn arepa), etc…Cheese arepa is very popular with the French

Ingredients:

• 500 g white corn flour
• 200 ml warm water
• 100 ml milk
• 30 g butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 good pinch salt
• oil

Topping :

• feta cheese
• mozzarella
• grated Gruyère or Comté (or any other mountain tomme)

Preparing the dish:

Crumble the cheeses and mix together. Melt butter in warm milk. Mix flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Pour in water, milk and butter. Mix and knead for a few minutes to obtain a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Add more flour if it sticks too much. Don’t expect a dough like shortcrust or bread dough, as corn flour contains no gluten. Shape into small discs. Place the cheese in the center of one disk. Heat an oiled frying pan (plancha is great!) and brown the arepas, 3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

Half soup half stew of chicken and potatoes, ajiaco is the typical dish of Bogota, the Colombian capital

Ingredients:

• 3 onions
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 2 chickens, 2 to 2.5 kg, cut into pieces
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 750 g potatoes (« sabanera »), peeled and sliced into rounds
• 500 g yellow potatoes (« criolla »), peeled
• 1 kg « pastusa » potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1.5 bowls fresh guasca leaves
• 5 medium corn, cut into thirds
• cloves
• pepper
• salt

Preparing the dish:

Place the onions, coriander, salt and chicken in a saucepan. Cover with water. Cook over high heat, skimming. When the chicken starts to cook, remove the coriander and onions and add the stock cubes. Season with pepper. Add the « sabanera » potato and cook over medium heat for 30 min. When the chickens are cooked, take them out to cool, then cut into small pieces. Add the « criolla » and « pastusa » potatoes to the pan and check the seasoning. Add the guasca leaves and corn on the cob. Continue cooking for 15 min. When the potatoes are cooked, add the chicken pieces and cook for a further 5 to 10 min. Serve hot, accompanied by crème fraîche, capers, chilli pepper and slices of ripe avocado.

Sancocho, Colombian stew, is a hearty and delicious dish.Ingredients

• 300 g (or more) beef, rib steak and chuck (it is possible to make this dish with chicken)
• 1 manioc tuber
• 1 green plantain banana
• 4 large potatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• Cumin to taste (this is the main ingredient that makes the broth taste good)
• Paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coriander
• As many ears of corn as guests

preparation:Thinly slice the onion and chop 2 cloves of garlic. In a large Dutch oven, brown the garlic and onion in olive oil. Once browned, sear the meat over medium heat and brown on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with water and cook for at least 1h30.Meanwhile:– Peel the manioc and break it by hand to remove the tough stalk in the center. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks – Peel the plantain banana and break it into large chunks. It will cook more than the others and thicken the broth. Mash it once it’s cooked through. After an hour and a half, add the yuca (manioc) to the broth, then the potatoes 20 minutes later and the plantain 15 minutes later. Add the remaining garlic clove, halved, just for flavor. Add plenty of cumin for a delicious broth. Add a few spoonfuls of paprika and, 10 minutes before the end, the corncobs. Season once more with salt and pepper. Chop the coriander and set aside. Serve the rice in a dish ( seco) with the beef and corn. You can also fry a few bananas for a sweet and salty taste. It is customary to eat salad or avocado vinaigrette with the seco.