IU students share family recipes that will leave any food connoisseur hungry for more. Bon appetit!
Yuca con Mojo
- 3 lb. yuca
- 2/3 cup olive oil
-1/2 Spanish onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Place yuca in a pot of boiling water. There needs to be enough water
to cover the yuca. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water. Continue
boiling until the yuca is soft. This is similar to boiling potatoes,
but yucca will require a bit more time. Then strain the yuca, and set
it aside.
In a separate pan, make the mojo. Heat olive oil, and add onion. Cook
onion in oil until soft. Squeeze lemon juice into the oil and onion
mixture, and add garlic. Cook for 30 more seconds after adding garlic.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour mojo over yuca, and serve.
“When I eat yuca, it reminds me of eating an American baked
potato ... My dad's from Cuba and his mom would usually make it at
Christmas or Thanksgiving.”
Nick Chavez, Freshman
Nick was born in Fishers, but his father is from Matanzas, Cuba.
Biryani
- 1 lb. rice
- 2 large onions,
chopped
- 2 garlic cloves,
minced
- 1 tbsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. chili
powder
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tomatoes,
chopped
- 2 tbsp. plain yogurt
- 1/2 tsp. cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
First, pour the vegetable oil into a large frying pan. Fry the onions with garlic until soft. Next, add chili powder, ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, cumin, and tomatoes into the pan. Fry for five minutes, stirring constantly. Add in yogurt, cardamom, and the cinnamon stick. Cook on low heat, and stir occasionally until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add hot water if the mixture becomes too dry. Then, add pre-cooked rice, and stir until the rice is evenly coated with the spice mixture. Many times potatoes and chicken are added to the rice for a more filling dish. If you choose to do so, add the pre-cooked potatoes and chicken into the skillet before adding the rice.
“Biryani is an Indian rice dish that we make during festival
times and big gatherings because the flavor and spices are so alive.”
Madhuri Reddy, Sophomore
Reddy was born in Terre Haute, but her family is from Hyderabad, India.
Cappelletti
- 5 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1/3 lb. pork
tenderloin
- 1/3 lb. sausage
- 1/3 lb. chicken
breast
- 1/3 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup Parmesan
cheese
- 1 cup Romano
cheese
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- pinch of salt
For the pasta, put flour in a mound on the table, and make a hole in
the center of the mound. Crack the eggs in the hole, and slowly knead
the ingredients together. Roll out the sheet of pasta, and cut
two-by-two squares. Set aside.
Boil all of the meats together, and shred finely. Combine the meat
mixture together with the Parmesan and romano cheeses, nutmeg, and
salt. Place a spoonful of the stuffing in the center of each pasta
square. Take diagonal corners of the square, and fold them into each
other to create a triangle. Then, take two edges of the triangle, and
wrap it around your finger. This will create a shape similar to a
tortellini noodle. Pinch the edges to keep the noodle closed. Lastly,
boil the noodles for three to five minutes or until the noodles are
tender. Serve with your choice of sauce.
“Cappelletti is like a big stuffed noodle we eat around Christmas time.
Years ago, Italians in my region would kill pigs in November, so around
Christmas all the people had in the house was pig.”
Alexandra Zago, Freshman
Alexandra was born in St. Louis, but her family is from Turin, Italy.
