The caigua is a vegetable domesticated in Peru, and very old cultures ate it (the Mochica culture made ceramics with images of caiguas). It’s considered an excellent food because it helps to metabolize the fats, reducing the cholesterol. In Peru, it’s used to fight against the diabetes, arteriosclerosis and obesity (it helps you to lose weight!). Be healthy enjoying this delicious recipe for 6 people.
Ingredients:
- 6 caiguas
- 350 g (12 oz) of ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 onions, cut in strips
- 1 tomato, peeled, without seeds and chopped
- 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
- 3 tablespoons of chopped yellow chili/pepper
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of toasted and chopped peanuts
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of raisins
- 1 black mint stick
- 1 1/4 cups of evaporated milk
- Vegetable oil
- Oregano
- Pepper
- Salt
Preparation:
Cut the wider extreme of each caigua as a lid and clean them with a teaspoon. Keep back.
In a pot, prepare a seasoning with the chopped onion, the garlic and the tomato. When the onion get ready, add the ground beef, the peanuts and cook on a medium flame. Season. Cut the hard-boiled egg in little pieces and add to the preparation when the beef is ready.
Stuff the caiguas with the beef mix.
Beat egg whites to form peaks and add the yolks. Beat some minutes more and season. Pass the caiguas by the beaten eggs and fry them in hot oil. Take out from the frying pan and keep back.
Heat oil in a pot or frying pan and cook the onion strips with the yellow chili/pepper. When they’re ready, add the evaporated milk and the black mint. Season to one’s taste.
Put the fried caiguas in the milk mix and boil some minutes. Serve with white rice.
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Technorati tags: Recipes, Peru, Peruvian Recipes, Recipes with Vegetables, Recipes with Beef, Main Courses, Caigua Rellena, Stuffed Caigua.
Blogalaxia tags: Recipes, Peru, Peruvian Recipes, Recipes with Vegetables, Recipes with Beef, Main Courses, Caigua Rellena, Stuffed Caigua.
Please, I would like to know where I can buy caiguas, I live in Houston, TX. Thanks ( also I need to find the name in english)
Veronika,
The name is the same in english. See Wikipedia for more info. Sorry, I couldn’t find any peruvian grocery store in your city via internet; maybe if you look in the yellow pages you’ll have more probabilities to find one.
Look this web page; maybe they can help you.
Good luck!
Hello Veronika and Diego,
I went a couple of years ago to Peru and brought back some seeds for the caiguas. They are growing now in my garden this year for the first time. I am searching for great recipe for them and any tips on the propagation of them . I think they must be a vine so I intend to put some stakes for them to grow up. Do you have any tips?
Dave
Dave,
Congratulations for your caiguas! I’ll look for another good recipe for them.
Read a little more about the caiguas in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caigua
Photos:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera_pedata
There is a little more in the spanish version:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera_pedata
It says the caigua can be cultivated all the year; it needs some hours of sun in a high humidity environment (80-90%, 15-28º C).
Hope it can helps. Good luck!
This is great!!
How can I find out about growing CAIGUAS.
Dan,
I couldn’t find a web explaining how to cultivate the caiguas. The only information I’ve found was the third link in the comment 4. Sorry! I hope it can help you.
Good luck!
We’ve been trying to grow Caigua this summer. The vine has really taken off (we see now why it is called a nuisance vine) but not one fruit. There are plenty of very small flower buds, but they never really go into full bloom. We’re near Chicago and we’ve had the humidity and the heat. If anybody has had success, plrase let us know your secrets.
Thanks!
Hi, There are some people in Ukraine who already growing Caigua and even trying to coock and preserve it but they put just little amount vinegar and it stays yet in the jars..I know that people planted seeds and it’s groving really fast. If you want to know more about growing it contact me on dis16@hotmail.com If someone knows how to pickle this veg properly- please tell me.
There are the webs on preparation but not preservation:
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Caigua Caigua Recipes
http://peru-recipes.com/2008/08/ajiaco-de-caiguas-caigua-ajiaco
Hi,
I am from Peru and I love caiguas. I want to know if Dave, who posted a comment last year lives in the west cost or east cost of US. Please let me know how your caiguas are growing.
Thank you
Hi people I was looking your question about the caiguas Im from Peru so I miss my peruvian food I live en usa,, Wisconsin so it too dificult to get that ,someone that help to me where I can find the caiguas.. Please help me
Karina