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Cuajada con melao
Cuajada con melao: fresh Andean curd cheese drizzled with dark, spiced panela syrup
Simplicity is the charm of this Andean dessert: a slab of fresh, milky cuajada, barely salted, with a dark syrup of panela poured over it, still warm. Highland fondas between Bogotá and Boyacá serve it after a lunch of ajiaco or sancocho, and the contrast of cool, squeaky curd with molasses-deep, spiced syrup is the point. Cuajada is set with rennet, traditionally animal; buy a vegetarian curd or fresh ricotta-style cheese, or make cuajada at home with microbial rennet. Panela is unrefined cane sugar; dark muscovado is the closest swap. The mistake is boiling the syrup too long: it turns to toffee as soon as it meets the cold cheese. Take it off when it coats a spoon thinly. Chef's tip: a strip of lime zest in the syrup cuts the sweetness beautifully.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 7 oz panela, ¾ cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves and 1 strip lime zest in a small saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the panela dissolves.
4 minStep 2: Simmer without stirring until the syrup has reduced by about a third and coats the back of a spoon in a thin film.
10 minStep 3: Take out the spices and leave the syrup to cool for a few minutes; it thickens as it cools.
Step 4: Cut 1 ⅛ lb cuajada into thick slices, set them on small plates and pour the warm melao over. Serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cuajada con melao take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 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 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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