GUATEMALA RECIPES

CHILEAN PONCHE (Wine Punch)

Combine red wine, sliced strawberries and 

sugar to taste and serve.

**************************

TAMALES NEGROS (Black Tamales)

Sauce:

2 Tbs squash seeds, toasted

2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted

1 chile pasa, toasted

1 chile guaque, toasted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup toasted bread crumbs

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, sliced

2 ounces bitter chocolate, melted

1/2 cup water

1 pound boneless chicken

Dough:

2 pounds masa harina

6 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 pound butter or margarine, melted

Prepare a smooth sauce in the food processor with all the sauce ingredients except the chicken.  

Cook the sauce and the chicken together in a covered pan over moderate to low heat for 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken and cut it into 2 inch cubes.  Set aside the chicken and the sauce.

Mix the dough ingredients together and simmer in a pan over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, 

until the mash is thick and smooth.  Set aside.

Assembling the Tamale:

Aluminum foil cut into 12 inch squares (if you can find banana leaves, this is what they use in Guatemala)

1 small dired pitted prune for each tamale

2 raisins for each tamale

2 pitted green olives for each tamale

Put 1/2 cup of the dough in the center of the foil sheet. Smooth it out to a rectangle 

4x5 inches and 1 inch thick. Top this with 2 Tbs of the sauce and 1 cube of chicken.

Around the side gently press in the prune, raisins and olives.  Fold the foil toward the center, seal it, 

then give the ends a twist around to seal the ends.  (If you found banana leaves, you would fold it into 

a packet and tie with string).  Cook in a steamer over moderate heat for 1 1/2 hours.

To serve, unfold the foil and cut around the edges with scissors, leaving the center part 

of the foil intact.  It is your plate.  For banana leaves, cut string and unfold.

          Serve hot.

          Serves 7 or 8

***********************************

PICADO DE RABANO (Radish Salad)

1/2 pound radishes (about 20)

12 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1/4 cup of a mix containing 2/3 orange juice 

and 1/3 lemon juice (or use Seville bitter 

orange juice if available)

Trim and thinly slice the radishes.  

Combine sliced radishes with remaining 

ingredients in a bowl and serve as a salad.

          Serves 2-4

*******************************

JOCON (Chicken in Green Sauce)

1 chicken, cut into serving pieces, loose 

  skin and fat discarded

4 cups water

1 tsp salt

2 tortillas, sliced

1 Tbs pepitoria (squash seeds)

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 cup cilantro, packed

1 cup sliced scallions, green part only

1/2 cup sliced tomatillos

1 to 2 tsp hot green chile slices

1 Tbs corn oil

Cook the chicken in the water with the salt 

in a covered kettle until soft, about 30 

minutes.  Remove the chicken and set aside.  

Reserve broth and soak tortillas in it.

Toast the squash seeds and sesame seeds in a 

dry skillet over moderate to low heat until 

they turn a light tan color, about 10 

minutes.

Prepare sauce in processor.  First grind the 

squash and sesame seeds.  Add the cilantro, 

scallions, tomatillos, hot chile pepper and 

1 cup of the reserved broth.  Add the soaked 

tortillas and process to a smooth paste.

Brown the chicken pieces in oil over moderate 

heat for 5 minutes.  Add the green sauce and 

the balance of the broth,  about 2 cups.  

Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until

the sauce is reduced to a thick, rich, green 

consistency.

Serve warm.

          Serves 4

*********************************

CHUCHITOS 

(Cornmeal Dumplings Stuffed with Meat)

1 pound boneless chicken or pork

1 Tbs oil

2 cups sliced ripe tomatoes

1 chile guajillo, seeds and stem removed

2 Tbs water

4 cups masa harina

8 Tbs margarine, room temperature

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 tsp salt

Fresh green or dired cornhusks, wet

Cut the chicken or pork into 1 inch cubes and 

fry in oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.  

Set aside.

Process the tomatoes, chile pepper and 2 Tbs 

water into a smooth sauce.  Set aside.

Mix the masa, margarine, 1 1/2 cups cold 

water and the salt together into a thick mush.  

Put 1/2 cup mush in each wet cornhusk, push 

and indentation into the mush, and add 1 Tbs

sauce and a chunk of meat.  Cover the 

stuffing with the mush and wrap the dumpling 

into a sausage shape with the corn leaves.

Steam the chuchitos over hot water over 

moderate heat for 1 1/2 hours.

Unwrap and eat warm or at room temperature.

***********************************

ARROZ CON POLLO CHAPINA 

(Guatemala Style Chicken and Rice)

3 lbs chicken pieces, skin and fat discarded

1 Tbs corn oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, chopped fine

1/2 cup chopped ripe tomato

1 1/2 cups raw rice

1 cup sliced carrots

1/3 cup stuffed green olives

1 Tbs caper

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup green peas

1/2 cup sweet red pimiento, cut into strips

1 hard cooked egg, sliced

2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet brown the chicken in the 

oil over medium heat for 20 minutes.  

Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and the black 

pepper.  Remove the chicken and set aside.

In the same skillet with the chicken fat, 

fry the onion, garlic and tomato for 2 

minutes.  Add the rice and fry for 2 minutes 

more.  Add the carrots, olives and capers and 

mix everything together.  Pour in the broth 

and chicken pieces.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover 

skillet and simmer until broth has been 

absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Add the green 

peas.

Cover skillet with aluminum foil and punch 8 

holes in the top to allow steam to escape.  

Bake in a 300F oven for 30 minutes.  Fluff 

up the mixture once or twice during the

baking time.

Serve warm.  Decorate the surface with the 

pimiento strips and egg slices and sprinkle 

with the cheese.  The rice should be dry, 

loose and not sticky.  Serve with fried 

ripe plantain slices, a salsa picante and 

pickled vegetables.

  Serves 6

*********************************

CARNE EN ADOBO 

(Beef in Tomato and Pepper Sauce)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 clove garlic, chopped

2 red peppers, seeded and chopped

3 pounds lean boneless beef chuck, cut into 

  1 inch cubes

10 ounces canned tomatillos

4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

1/2 tsp oregano

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup beef stock

2 stale tortillas

Heat oil in saucepan and saute onion, garlic 

and pepper until onion is soft.  Add meat and 

everything else except tortillas.  Add more 

stock if needed so liquid barely covers meat.  

Cover, simmer gently 2 hours until beef is 

tender.

Soak tortillas in water, squeeze them out and 

crumble.  Add to casserole and simmer 

uncovered until sauce thickens.

Serve with Arroz Guatemalteco.

****************************************

VERDURAS EN ESCABECHE (Pickled Vegetables)

5 jalapeno chiles, each about 2 inches long

1 Tbs corn oil

2 cups diagonal 1/8 inch thick slices of 

  carrots

1 pound cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets

1 cup slice onion

5 garlic cloves

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

4 bay leaves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 cup cider or white vinegar

Fry the chile peppers in the oil for 2 

minutes to soften the skins.  Remove the 

chiles, slice them open vertically, and

remove seeds and fibers.  Set aside.

Blanch the carrots, cauliflower, onion and 

garlic separately in boiling water for 2 

minutes.  Drain well and mix them all

together.  Put them into a glass jar or 

stone crock.

Mix the thyme, oregano, bay leaves, salt and 

sugar in the vinegar.  Pour this over the 

vegetables and mix well.  Allow the escabeche 

to marinate for 1 day or more before using.

The pickle can be refrigerated or stored at 

room temperature in a cool place.

**********************************

OLGIETTA'S PLATANOS (Fried Plantains)

1 ripe plantain, with a yellow and black skin

2 Tbs oil

Peel plantain.  Cut into 1/2 inch thick 

diagonal slices.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and fry 

plantains for several minutes on each side 

until golden brown.  Drain briefly on paper 

towels.

Serve with fried black bean paste and 

tortillas.

**********************************

FRIJOLES NEGROS VOLTEADOS 

(Fried Black Bean Paste)

2 cups black bean puree 

  (canned refried black beans)

1 Tbs oil

Heat oil over moderate heat in skillet.  

Add bean puree and mix well with wooden 

spoon.  Stir until puree thickens and liquid 

evaporates.

Continue until mix begins to come away from 

skillet and can be formed by shaking the 

skillet to give a sausage shape.

Serve warm with tortillas, farmers cheese, 

sour cream, bread or with all at once.

*********************************

IGUASHTE 

(Vegetable Salad in Squash Seed Sauce)

1 cup squash seeds

1 cup tomatillos

1 garlic clove

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 

  inch cubes

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

3 cups diagonal 1 inch pieces of green snap 

  beans

Toast the squash seeds in a dry skillet over 

moderate to low heat for about 10 minutes 

until light brown.

Toast the tomatillos and garlic in a dry 

skillet over moderate to low heat for about 

10 minutes, until the skins are slightly 

charred.

Cook the potatoes in the water with the salt 

until they are soft.  Drain well and reserve 

the liquid.

Cook the green beans in the salted water over 

moderate heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  

Drain well and reserve the liquid.

Prepare a smooth sauce in a processor by 

first putting in the squash seeds, then the 

tomatillos, garlic and 2 cups reserved 

cooking liquid.  Strain the sauce and discard 

the rough bits.

Toss the sauce with the potatoes and green 

beans.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or more before serving.

Serves 6

*************************************

ARROZ GUATEMALTECO (Guatemala Style Rice)

2 cups long grain rice

2 Tbs oil

1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, celery, 

  sweet red peppers, finely chopped, and 

  green peas)

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups chicken stock

Heat oil in heavy saucepan and add rice.  

Saute lightly until rice has absorbed the 

oil, being careful not to let it color.  Add 

mixed vegetables, salt, pepper, and chicken

stock.  Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce 

heat to low.

Cook for about 20 minutes until rice is 

tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Serves 6-8

********************************

PLATANOS AL HORNO (Baked Plantains)

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 ripe plantains, with black skins

2 Tbs butter

Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Peel the 

plantains and split them open lengthwise but 

do not cut completely through.  Sprinkle them 

inside and out with the sugar mixture.  Cut 

dabs of butter into the slits.

Coat a baking dish with butter and add the 

plantains.  Bake in a 350F 20 to 30 minutes 

until soft and brown.  

Serve warm with fresh cream and honey.