Carimañolas: This Delicious Panamanian Dish Will Make Your Mouth Water!
To celebrate the release of the Van Halen masterpiece, Panama, and our Panama Canal Cruise, we make a popular Panamanian Street food: Carimañolas!
Things to know:
What is a Carimanola Panama food?
Carimañolas are a fritter made with a yuca-based dough and then stuffed with spiced beef. They’re fried in oil until hot and crispy, making for a very snackable bite. Carimañolas are savory fried pastries made from a dough of mashed yuca (cassava), often with egg, flour, and seasonings like salt and butter, stuffed with a flavorful filling, usually ground beef (picadillo), chicken, or cheese, then deep-fried to a crispy golden brown. Key ingredients include fresh or frozen yuca, ground meat (beef/chicken), onion, garlic, bell peppers, cumin, oregano, and often tomato paste, served with dipping sauces like aji or suero.
What are common carimañola fillings?
It is made primarily from yuca (cassava) dough, which is stuffed with ground beef, shredded chicken, or cheese and then deep-fried until golden and crispy. The dish is typically eaten as a breakfast item, snack, or appetizer.
How do you traditionally serve carimañola?
In Panama, they eat carimañolas for breakfast along with a cup of coffee. Because it’s a favorite in the country, people often serve them as a snack and as appetizers. They are usually served very hot and accompanied by some sauce.
What is the history of carimañolas?
Carimañola, also known as caribañola, is a typical dish from the Caribbean coast of Colombia and Panama, with roots dating back to the French Revolution (1789-1799). Its name derives from “carmagnole”, a jacket worn by the sans-culottes, which gave rise to a popular song adopted in Latin America.
What is yuca in English?
In English, “yuca” is most commonly called cassava or manioc, referring to the starchy, versatile root vegetable used in Latin American, Caribbean, and African cuisines, but it’s important not to confuse it with the inedible ornamental plant “yucca”.
Ingredients:
Yuca dough:
1 bag frozen yuca (3 lbs) (we actually found this at WalMart!)
4 t Kosher salt
6 T butter salted
2 eggs beaten
2 T flour
Note: Save 1 cup water from boiling the yuca.
Filling:
16 oz beef ground
2 T olive oil
1 onion small, diced
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
6 clove garlic minced
2 Roma tomato seeded, cored, and diced
2 t Kosher salt
1 t smoked paprika
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t adobo seasoning
2 dashes allspice
2 T tomato paste
4 T recaito
Oil for frying. (canola oil works well)
For the serving sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
2 T whole milk
1 T cilantro, chopped
1 T green onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 t salt
Instructions
Prepare the yuca dough:
1. Peel the fresh yuca with a vegetable peeler and cut into 3 inch chunks. Frozen yuca will typically be sold peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces.
2. In a large pot boil enough water to cover the yuca. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. When the yuca is fork tender transfer to a large bowl.
3. Split open the yuca pieces in half and remove the fibrous threads that run down the middle. Discard the threads.
4. Begin mashing the yuca with a potato masher.
5. Add salt, and butter, and about 1/2 cup of the reserved water.
6. Mix in the eggs.
7. Next add the flour and continue mixing until you have a smooth dough. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with a dishtowel until ready to use.
Prepare the meat filling:
1. In a small bowl mix all the spices: Kosher salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, adobo and allspice.
2. In a skillet over medium heat sauté the onion and red bell pepper, and garlic until translucent. Add the meat, spices and brown. Stir in the tomato, tomato paste, and recaito. Mix well.
3. Once all the meat is fully browned and the tomatoes are very soft remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Prepare the fritters – carimañolas:
1. When the dough is cool enough to handle, pinch off a piece and roll into a 2″ ball.
2. Flatten on the palm of your hand and place a small amount of filling in the middle. Close up and form in the shape of a torpedo.
3. Set on a plastic cutting board ready to use. Tip: They will tend to stick to a wooden cutting board so use plastic or a ceramic pan.
4. Fry in 350°F oil until golden brown.
Air fryer steps:
1. Brush each one with canola oil on all sides and place in the basket of the air fryer.
2. Set your air fryer to 350°F for 25 minutes and flip them half way through the cooking time. Air fry until golden brown on all sides.
Serve with the sauce! ENJOY!
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