Papa rellena

Traditional dish in South American cuisine

Papas rellenas (English: stuffed potatoes) are the most popular type of croquettes in Latin American regions such as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and the Caribbean (more so in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic). The first printed Latin American recipes date to the late 19th century, during a time when French cuisine (among others, e. g. Italian) was influencing the region.

The dish is a potato based dough into which a filling made of chopped beef and onions, whole olives, hard boiled eggs, cumin and other spices is stuffed. Once prepared, the obloid mass is dredged in flour and deep fried. Potato flour is often added to give greater consistency to the dough. In Peru, the dish is usually accompanied with a "salsa criolla", or an ají sauce.

They consist of mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned ground meat and various spices, and then deep fried. The dish varies in preparation and presentation between countries. Papas rellenas are a local favorite in heavily Cuban populated American cities such as Miami and Tampa, in which the Cuban version consists of potato balls stuffed with seasoned picadillo. This dish is also extensively consumed in Puerto Rico, where it is called "relleno de papa". In Puerto Rico the potatoes are boiled and then mashed with eggs, cornstarch, milk, and butter. Papas rellenas are stuffed with cheese, picadillo, or choice of meat. The papas rellenas are then coated with egg wash, and rolled into cornmeal or bread crumbs before frying.

Papa rellena was featured on the Bolivian episode of Netflix TV series Street Food in season 2.