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Chochos con tostado
Lupin bean and toasted corn salad
Chochos con tostado: Quito's lupin-bean and toasted-corn street salad with lime
On street corners in Quito and Latacunga vendors pile paper cups with chochos, the pale Andean lupin beans, tossed with lime-soaked red onion and tomato and showered with crunchy toasted corn. It is a cheap, filling mid-morning snack, sour and salty with a nutty crunch, and it doubles as a light lunch with a fried plantain on the side. Buy chochos ready debittered, sold cooked in jars or vacuum packs: raw lupins are bitter and contain toxic alkaloids until they have been soaked and boiled for several days, so never use dried ones without that long treatment. Lupin is also a declared allergen and can affect people with peanut allergy. The common mistake is skipping the rinse, which leaves the beans tasting of brine. Chef's tip: salt the onion with the lime juice 10 minutes ahead so it softens and turns pink.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz ready-to-eat debittered lupin beans (chochos)drained weight, rinsed well
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 3 limesjuiced
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 ripe tomatoesdiced
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 fresh red chilli (optional)finely chopped
For the tostado
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pan with a lid over a medium heat. Add 7 oz dried giant corn for toasting (maíz para tostado or cancha), cover and cook, shaking the pan every 30 seconds, until the kernels are golden and a few have split open with a pop.
12 minStep 3: Tip the corn onto a plate, sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and let it cool so it stays crunchy.
Step 4: Rinse 14 oz ready-to-eat debittered lupin beans (chochos) under cold water, taste one and rinse again if they still taste salty. Drain well.
Step 5: Add the chochos, 2 ripe tomatoes, 3 tbsp fresh coriander, 1 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 fresh red chilli to the onions and toss. Taste for lime and salt.
Step 6: Serve in bowls or cups with a big handful of tostado on top, adding it at the last moment so it stays crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chochos con tostado take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
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