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Chapo
Plantain and milk drink
Chapo: Iquitos's thick drink of ripe plantain simmered with cinnamon and blended with milk
Breakfast stalls in Iquitos and the riverside towns of Loreto pour chapo into glasses from big steaming pots before the heat of the day sets in, and by afternoon the same drink is sold chilled. It is made from plantains left until their skins are black, simmered with cinnamon and cloves until soft, then blended smooth and loosened with milk. The result is thick, naturally sweet and gently spiced, somewhere between a smoothie and a thin custard, and children love it. Some families make it with water only; evaporated milk is the common addition in town. The mistake is using plantains that are still yellow-green: they taste starchy and the drink turns grey and gluey, so wait until the skins are mostly black and the fruit gives when pressed. Serve hot with bread or a tamal, or cold over ice. Chef's tip: strain it through a sieve after blending for a silky drink, and thin it with water if it thickens as it cools.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe plantainsskins mostly black, about 750 g, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 4 cloves
- 1 ⅜ oz sugaror to taste; ripe plantains may need less
- 1 ¾ cups evaporated milkor whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 3 very ripe plantains, 4 ¼ cups water, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves in a pan and bring to the boil over a high heat.
5 minStep 2: Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, until the plantain is very soft and breaks up when pressed with a spoon, about 20 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Fish out the cinnamon and cloves. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, then blend with 1 ⅜ oz sugar and 1 ¾ cups evaporated milk until completely smooth.
5 minStep 4: Strain through a sieve, add ½ tsp vanilla extract if using and taste for sweetness. Serve hot, or chill and pour over ice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chapo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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