Traditional Peruvian Dishes
Peruvian Picarones: the authentic recipe from Peru
Golden rings of sweet potato and squash, with a spongy interior and a warm honey of chancaca perfumed with cinnamon, cloves, and orange. A Peruvian specialty ideal for enjoying freshly fried.
Prepare traditional Peruvian picarones with a moist and fermented dough, a light fry, and the classic chancaca honey. The result combines a golden surface with a soft and airy center.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓500 g of sweet potato
- ✓500 g of macre squash or orange pulp pumpkin
- ✓500 g of wheat flour
- ✓10 g of dry yeast
- ✓2 tablespoons of sugar
- ✓1 teaspoon of anise seeds
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of salt
- ✓1 liter of vegetable oil for frying
- ✓400 g of chancaca, panela or piloncillo
- ✓250 ml of water
- ✓1 cinnamon stick
- ✓4 cloves
- ✓Peel of 1/2 orange, without the white part
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Cook the vegetables
Wash the sweet potato and squash. Boil them in a pot with enough water until they are completely tender; you can also steam them so they absorb less water.
- 02
Prepare the puree
Drain the vegetables well. Peel the sweet potato and remove the skin and seeds from the squash. Mash them while they are still hot until you get a fine puree and let it cool down.
- 03
Activate the yeast
Mix the dry yeast with the sugar and a few tablespoons of the warm puree. Stir and wait between 5 and 10 minutes, until the mixture is slightly foamy.
- 04
Mix the dough
Place the puree, flour, anise, ground cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Add the activated yeast and integrate until you get a moist and sticky dough. If it's too liquid, incorporate flour one tablespoon at a time, without overdoing it.
- 05
Knead and ferment
Knead for about 8 minutes, lifting and gently pounding the dough inside the container. Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm place for between one hour and one hour and a half, until it clearly increases in volume and has bubbles.
- 06
Cook the honey
Break the chancaca into pieces and put it in a pot with the water, cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. Cook over medium heat until it dissolves and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens a bit. Strain the honey and keep it warm.
- 07
Heat the oil
Heat the oil in a deep pot until approximately 175 °C. Without a thermometer, check the temperature with a small portion of dough: it should rise and bubble immediately without darkening too quickly. Do not fill the pot more than half.
- 08
Form the rings
Moisten one hand, take a portion of dough, and open a hole in the center with your thumb. Carefully drop the ring into the oil; you can also use a small wet spoon.
- 09
Fry the picarones
Fry a few picarones at a time to avoid lowering the temperature. Cook them for 2 or 3 minutes on each side and turn them with a skimmer until they are inflated and golden.
- 10
Drain excess
Remove the picarones and let them drain on a rack or paper towels. They should be golden and slightly crispy on the outside, with a soft and airy interior.
- 11
Serve with honey
Stack the hot picarones in a dish and pour the warm chancaca honey over them. Add generous lines instead of covering them completely to preserve part of the crunchy texture.
- The dough should be moist and sticky, not firm like bread dough.
- Let it ferment until it clearly increases in volume and bubbles appear.
- Fry a few picarones at a time and keep the oil around 175 °C.
- If the dough breaks when entering the oil, it may need more rest or a wetter hand.
- If they brown too much on the outside and remain raw on the inside, reduce the oil temperature.
- Keep the honey warm so it covers the rings better.
- You can ferment the dough in advance in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before frying.
- Work carefully near the hot oil and keep the utensils dry to avoid splashes.