Tacu-Tacu

Mash half of the cooked beans (about 200 g) with a fork or potato masher until creamy — this will give the filling its characteristic creamy texture inside. Leave the other half of the beans whole.

Finely chop one onion together with 3 garlic cloves. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet and sauté the onion over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until soft, add the garlic, 0.5 tsp cumin and 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste, and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the mashed and whole beans to the skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and warm through for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in 400 g cooked rice, mixing thoroughly with a wooden spatula until you get a sticky, cohesive mass that holds its shape, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the rice absorbs the flavors.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide skillet (26-28 cm) over medium heat. Add the whole mixture and press it out with a spatula into a thick cake, 1.5-2 cm thick, covering the entire surface of the skillet.

Cover the skillet with a lid and fry for 8-10 minutes until a crisp golden crust forms on the bottom. Cover the skillet with a large flat plate, flip quickly, and slide the cake back into the skillet browned-side up — fry for another 6-8 minutes without the lid until golden on the other side.

While the cake is frying, thinly slice the second onion into half-rings, mix with the juice of 1 lime, 10 g finely chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt — let it sit for 10 minutes to make the salsa criolla.

Slice the bananas (2, ripe) and fry in 1 tbsp oil for 2 minutes per side until golden. Fry the eggs (4) separately over low heat until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

Cut the tacu-tacu into 4 portions and serve hot: top each portion with a fried egg, and arrange the fried banana slices and salsa criolla alongside.