Salvadoran FoodSalvadoran Crispy Chickpea and Loroco Cakes with Cucumber Slaw and Roasted Tomato Pumpkin-Seed Sauce
An original recipe inspired by traditional Salvadoran flavors: golden cakes made with cooked chickpeas, loroco, and corn, served with a fresh cucumber slaw and a roasted tomato sauce thickened with ground pumpkin seeds. Crisp outside and tender inside, perfect as a main dish or hearty appetizer.
Ingredients
- 300 g cooked and drained chickpeas (for triturar)
- 60 g masa harina (for dar estructura)
- 40 g chopped loroco (fresh or descongelado)
- 80 g white onion, finely chopped (divided for mezcla and sauce)
- 10 g chopped garlic (divided)
- 1 unit egg (for ligar)
- 50 g grated queso duro blando (or queso fresh firme grated)
- 15 g chopped cilantro (divided)
- 2 g ground cumin (divided)
- 8 g salt (divided or to taste)
- 1 g black pepper (to taste)
- 45 ml vegetable oil (divided for frying and cocinar)
- 400 g ripe tomatoes (for roasting)
- 30 g green chili (without semillas if desired menos picante)
- 18 g ground pumpkin seed seasoning (for espesar the sauce)
- 180 ml water (for ajustar the sauce)
- 180 g cucumber (en medias lunas finas)
- 80 g radishes (sliced finas)
- 30 ml apple cider vinegar (for the curtido)
- 15 ml lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 4 g sugar (for balancear the curtido)
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 the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Place the tomatoes, half of the chopped onion, the green chili, and half of the garlic on a small baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and roast for 18 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly charred on the edges.
- 2
2. While the vegetables roast, make the slaw: combine the cucumber, radishes, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro in a bowl. Toss well and let stand for 15 minutes.
- 3
3. For the cake mixture, place the cooked chickpeas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork or potato masher until coarse, not fully smooth.
- 4
4. Add the masa harina, chopped loroco, remaining onion, remaining garlic, egg, grated queso duro blando, the remaining cilantro, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to the mashed chickpeas. Mix until a shapeable dough forms; if it seems too dry, add 1 tablespoon water.
- 5
5. Divide the mixture into 8 portions and shape into cakes about 1.5 cm / 1/2 inch thick. Place them on a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes to firm up.
- 6
6. Once the tomatoes are ready, transfer them to a blender with the roasted onion, roasted green chili, roasted garlic, ground pumpkin seed seasoning, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until you have a slightly thick sauce.
- 7
7. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and pour in the blended sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened and the pumpkin seed seasoning is fully incorporated. Keep warm over low heat.
- 8
8. In a wide skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook the chickpea and loroco cakes for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and crisp on the outside. Adjust the heat if they brown too quickly.
- 9
9. Serve two cakes per plate, topped or accompanied with the cucumber slaw, and finish with the roasted tomato and pumpkin-seed sauce spooned over or on the side.
- 10
10. If desired, garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve immediately while the cakes are still crisp and the sauce is hot.
Chef tips
Do not mash the chickpeas into a completely smooth purée; a rustic texture keeps the cakes lighter and crispier. If the mixture feels too wet, add 1 extra tablespoon of masa harina.
Substitutions
You can substitute queso duro blando with firm queso fresco. If fresh loroco is unavailable, use thawed frozen loroco and drain it well. Apple cider vinegar can be replaced with mild white vinegar.
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 imageT-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized 12" Non-Stick Pan
Eggs, omelets and stir-fries
- Eggs and omelets that don’t stick
- Comfortable, sturdy handle
- Use wooden or silicone utensils
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