Salvadoran FoodSalvadoran savory rice and chipilín fritters with ricotta-style fresh cheese, radish slaw, and charred tomato sauce
An original recipe inspired by traditional Salvadoran flavors: savory fritters made with cooked rice, fresh chipilín, and soft fresh cheese, pan-fried until crisp outside and tender inside. They are served with a quick radish-cabbage slaw and a charred tomato sauce with garlic and green chile.
Ingredients
- 300 g cooked white rice (cold or at room temperature)
- 180 g ricotta-style fresh cheese (desmenuzado)
- 40 g fresh chipilín leaves (solo leaves, chopped)
- 2 unit egg (batidos)
- 40 g rice flour (for ligar the mezcla)
- 80 g white onion (finely chopped, divided)
- 12 g garlic (chopped, divided)
- 8 g salt (divided or to taste)
- 2 g black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 g ground cumin
- 90 ml vegetable oil (divided, for frying and for the sauce)
- 500 g ripe tomato (for tatemar)
- 30 g green chile (without semillas if desired menos picante)
- 180 g green cabbage (finely grated)
- 100 g radish (sliced finas)
- 30 ml white vinegar
- 4 g sugar
- 1 g dried oregano
- 60 ml water (for ajustar the sauce)
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
Instructions
- 1
1. Preheat a griddle, cast-iron skillet, or comal over medium-high heat. If you prefer using the oven to char the vegetables, preheat it to 220 °C / 425 °F.
- 2
2. Make the sauce: place the tomatoes, green chile, half of the onion, and half of the garlic on the griddle or on a baking tray lightly greased with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, turning as needed, until the tomatoes are soft and well charred in spots. If using the oven, roast at 220 °C / 425 °F for 15 minutes.
- 3
3. Transfer the roasted tomatoes, green chile, roasted onion, roasted garlic, 60 ml water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, dried oregano, and ground cumin to a blender or food processor. Blend into a rustic sauce.
- 4
4. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the blended sauce and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Adjust with a pinch of salt and keep warm.
- 5
5. Make the quick slaw: in a bowl, combine the green cabbage, radishes, remaining chopped onion, white vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Massage with clean hands for 1 minute and let rest for 15 minutes.
- 6
6. For the fritter mixture, place the cooked rice, fresh cheese, chopped chipilín, beaten eggs, rice flour, remaining chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well until you have a moist mixture that can be scooped and compacted. If it feels too loose, let it rest for 5 minutes so the rice flour can absorb moisture.
- 7
7. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, aiming for about 175 °C / 350 °F for shallow frying. Form 8 fritters using about 2 heaping tablespoons of mixture each, then flatten them slightly.
- 8
8. Fry the fritters in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and crisp on the outside. Adjust the heat to keep the oil close to 175 °C / 350 °F. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- 9
9. Serve the fritters hot over or alongside spoonfuls of charred tomato sauce and top with the radish-cabbage slaw or serve it on the side.
- 10
10. If you want to keep the fritters warm while finishing the batches, place them on a tray in a 95 °C / 200 °F oven for up to 10 minutes.
Chef tips
For a crispier texture, chill the cooked rice for several hours before mixing. Make sure the chipilín is very dry so the mixture does not become too wet.
Substitutions
If you cannot find requesón, use a soft crumbled fresh cheese. Chipilín can be replaced with tender spinach or chopped chard, though the flavor will be less traditional.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageNinja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageTempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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