Ecuadorian Llapingachos Potato Cakes
Llapingachos Potato Cakes
Golden Ecuadorian potato patties filled with melting cheese, served with a smooth peanut sauce, tomato-onion salad, avocado, and fried eggs.
Llapingachos are one of Ecuador's best-loved potato dishes: soft mashed potato cakes tinted with achiote, filled with cheese, and browned until the outside forms a delicate crust. They are usually served as a generous plate rather than a small side, with peanut sauce, salad, avocado, and often a fried egg.
The texture depends on using starchy potatoes and letting the mash cool before shaping. Warm potatoes can feel sticky, but a short rest gives the patties enough structure to hold a cheese center without adding flour, keeping the finished cakes tender instead of bready.
A simple peanut sauce brings the plate together. Onion, cumin, milk, and peanut butter cook into a savory sauce that should be pourable, not thick like a spread. It soaks gently into the potato cakes and balances the sharp tomato-onion salad.
Serve the llapingachos hot from the skillet, with the sauce spooned over or alongside. They are satisfying with fried eggs for lunch or dinner, and the patties can be shaped ahead so the final browning is quick.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Boil until the potatoes are very tender when pierced, 18 to 22 minutes.
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2
Drain the potatoes well, return them to the warm pot for 1 minute to steam dry, then mash until smooth. Let the mash cool until it is just warm, about 15 minutes.
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3
Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the achiote, yellow onion, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin, then cook until the onion is soft and the oil is orange, 5 to 6 minutes.
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4
Mix the achiote onion mixture into the mashed potatoes. Taste and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt if needed, then divide the potato mixture into 8 portions.
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5
Flatten one potato portion in your palm, add about 2 tablespoons shredded cheese to the center, and close the potato around the cheese. Pat into a 3-inch cake and repeat with the remaining portions. Chill the cakes for 15 minutes.
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6
For the peanut sauce, combine the peanut butter, milk, broth, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking often, until smooth and pourable, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
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7
Toss the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Let the salad stand while you cook the patties.
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8
Heat 2 tablespoons oil on a large griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the potato cakes until deeply golden on both sides and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning gently with a thin spatula.
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9
Fry the eggs to your liking in the same skillet or a separate pan. Serve 2 llapingachos per person with peanut sauce, tomato-onion salad, avocado slices, and a fried egg.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks:2 1/2 lb
- Kosher salt:2 tsp
- Neutral oil:3 tbsp
- Achiote paste or ground annatto:1 1/2 tsp
- Yellow onion, finely chopped:1 small
- Ground cumin:1 tsp
- Mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese, shredded:6 oz
- Creamy natural peanut butter:1/2 cup
- Whole milk:1 cup
- Chicken or vegetable broth:1/2 cup
- Lime juice:2 tbsp
- Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced:2 medium
- Red onion, thinly sliced:1/2 small
- Cilantro leaves, chopped:1/4 cup
- Avocado, sliced:1 large
- Large eggs:4 large
Tips & Notes
- Use starchy potatoes such as russets so the cakes hold together without flour.
- If the potato mixture feels loose, chill it longer before shaping rather than adding a lot of binder.
- Keep the heat at medium; high heat can brown the cakes before the cheese melts.
- Thin the peanut sauce with a splash of milk or broth if it tightens as it sits.
