Peruvian Tacu Tacu - Crispy Beans and Rice Cakes
Peru's thrifty classic: leftover beans and rice mashed together, seasoned with aji amarillo and fried into thick cakes with a shattering golden crust.
The seasoning is what lifts it. Aji amarillo paste brings a fruity, gentle heat that is completely different from chilli powder, and a little oregano and cumin ties it to the savoury, earthy flavours of the beans. Salsa criolla - thin slivers of red onion with lime and coriander - is the classic sharp topping that cuts through the fried crust.
It is a full dinner on its own, and traditionally a fried egg goes on top. The cakes also happen to be an excellent way to make a couple of cups of cooked beans stretch into something that feels like a proper meal.
Ingredients
- 400 g cooked cannellini or canary beans, well drained (or 2 x 400 g tins, rinsed)
- 350 g cooked long-grain rice, chilled
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for frying
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tbsp plain flour, to bind
- For the salsa criolla: 1 red onion thinly sliced, juice of 1 lime, 2 tbsp chopped coriander, 1 mild red chilli thinly sliced, pinch of salt
- To serve: lime wedges, fried eggs (optional), extra aji amarillo sauce
Instructions
- Mash the drained beans roughly with a fork or potato masher - leave some whole pieces for texture. Stir in the chilled rice and mash a little more so the mixture holds together but is not a paste.
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, aji amarillo paste, cumin, oregano and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the paste darkens and smells fragrant.
- Tip the bean and rice mixture into the pan and stir over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, pressing it against the base, until it is hot through and has dried out slightly. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour, which helps the cakes hold together. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes so it firms up.
- Divide into 4 portions and shape each into a thick patty roughly 8 cm wide and 2 cm thick, pressing firmly.
- Wipe out the pan, add a thin layer of oil and set over medium-high heat. Fry the cakes for 4-5 minutes per side without moving them, until a dark golden crust forms. Flatten slightly with a spatula as they cook.
- Meanwhile, toss the sliced red onion, lime juice, coriander, chilli and salt for the salsa criolla. Serve the cakes hot with the salsa, lime wedges and a fried egg on top if you like.
Cook’s tips
- Cold, day-old rice is essential. Freshly cooked rice is too damp and the cakes will fall apart in the pan.
- Do not skimp on the frying time. The crisp, almost caramelised crust is the whole point of tacu tacu, so leave the cakes undisturbed until they release easily from the pan.
- If the mixture feels loose, add another tablespoon of flour and chill it for 20 minutes before shaping.
- Aji amarillo paste is sold in jars or tubes at Latin American grocers and keeps for months in the fridge.
Substitutions
- Any creamy white bean works - cannellini, butter beans, or Peruvian canary beans if you can get them.
- Red pepper paste plus a pinch of mild chilli can stand in for aji amarillo, though the flavour will be sweeter and less fruity.
- Use gluten-free plain flour or fine cornmeal to bind if you need the dish to be gluten-free.
- For a vegan plate, skip the egg and top with extra salsa criolla and a wedge of avocado.
Storage & reheating
The cooked mixture keeps for 3 days in the fridge, and the shaped, uncooked cakes can be chilled for 24 hours - they actually fry better from cold. Cooked cakes reheat well in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes a side, which brings the crust back. Freeze shaped cakes for up to 2 months, then fry from frozen with 2 extra minutes per side.
FAQ
What is tacu tacu made of?
It is a Peruvian dish of cooked beans and rice mashed together with onion, garlic, aji amarillo and cumin, then shaped and pan-fried until crisp.
What does tacu tacu taste like?
Savoury and earthy from the beans, with a gentle fruity heat from the aji amarillo and a very crisp, nutty fried crust. The salsa criolla on top adds sharp freshness.
Is tacu tacu vegan?
The bean and rice cakes themselves are vegan and naturally gluten-free if you use cornmeal to bind. Only the optional fried egg on top makes it non-vegan.
What do you serve with tacu tacu?
Salsa criolla and lime are essential. Traditionally it is topped with a fried egg or served alongside a slow-cooked beef stew, though a simple green salad works well too.
