If you visit a Peruvian chifa restaurant, you have to try the delicious Pollo Tipakay. This recipe will blow your mind with its exotic flavor. Its sweet and sour touch is unique, and you can be sure that you will want to repeat the experience. Have you never heard about this delicious dish? In this article we tell you all about it. Let’s get started!
Pollo Tipakay: a Peruvian-born Cantonese
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The Pollo Tipakay is a very delicious sweet and sour Peruvian-Chinese dish that has been part of Peruvian daily life for several decades. To try it is to be seduced by a succulent tamarind sauce, which is what gives it its distinctive flavor.
To know the history of this recipe we must first talk about chifa, a culinary culture of almost two centuries that for many is the best kept secret of Peruvian gastronomy.
Chifa emerged in Peru with the first Chinese Cantonese migrants who arrived in the country in the 1840’s. These families brought their particular way of cooking, which was enriched with local ingredients and techniques at the same time that these foreigners were integrating into their new home.
Thus, Chinese wok recipes incorporated local flavors, and this exotic seasoning gained fans all over Peru. In the heat of this process of culinary crossbreeding, dishes such as chaufa rice, lomo saltado, wantan soup and, of course, Tipakay Chicken were born.
Today, just as chifa restaurants are all over the country, the Pollo Tipakay Peruano is frequently eaten in every home.
Let’s remember that Peru is a gastronomic destination par excellence and that our emblematic recipes are world famous. In Peru we do not joke when we talk about good food, we are foodies by nature, so any dish born in our land has a seal of origin and eating it is, without a doubt, a memorable experience. Tipakay chicken is no exception to this rule.
Tipakay Chicken: some facts about this delicacy
As mentioned before, what makes this recipe special is its sweet tamarind sauce obtained from the local fruit of the same name. You may also be interested to know that:
- The preparation of tamarind begins with a boiling process where it is accompanied by other fruits such as pineapple and peach, in an explosive and delicious mixture.
- Undoubtedly, tamarind and pineapple are the protagonists of the sweet and sour magic of chifa Tipakay. But not only that; these fruits provide fiber, vitamin C and potassium. Tamarind is a medicinal fruit that helps improve digestion and has laxative and antioxidant properties.
- It is also important to highlight in the recipe the preferential use of chicken breast and ingredients such as holantao, a very appetizing Chinese oilseed.
- It is common to accompany this dish with chaufa rice or white rice to obtain a complete meal full of Chinese-Peruvian magic.
Work up an appetite? You can make it at home
Tipakay chicken is delicious, but besides the taste, you will see how it will enliven all your senses. Its aroma while cooking is very powerful, its texture is tender and juicy, and its bright colors are very attractive.
Let’s see what ingredients you should have at home and the step-by-step if you take on the challenge of preparing your own Pollo Tipakay Peruano.
Keep in mind that this is a general guide. In Peru, every home and every restaurant puts its personal touch to its tipackay chicken recipe. You can do the same.
Ingredients:
- 150 grams of chicken tenderloin
- 1 bell bell pepper, cut into squares
- 70 grams of holantao (legume or snow pea)
- 50 grams of pineapple, cut into medium pieces
- 4 heads of Chinese onion, cut into short sticks
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey
- ¼ cup of chuño (cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoons of chuño diluted in water
- Salt to taste
- Oil, quantity needed
Tamarind concentrate:
- 150 grams of tamarind
- Peel of 2 peaches
- Peel of ½ pineapple
- Peel of 2 oranges
- Water, quantity needed
Preparation:
The first thing we will make is the tamarind concentrate:
- In a saucepan, place the fruits, cover with water and let it boil over low heat.
- Wait until the mixture reduces and takes color, for about an hour and a half.
- Check and add water a little at a time if necessary.
- Strain and set aside.
Now the chicken:
- Cut the chicken into pieces, season with salt and cover with chuño.
- Fry in abundant hot oil and set aside on paper towel to remove excess fat.
- Place the tamarind concentrate in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the honey, holantao, pineapple, bell bell pepper and Chinese onion heads.
- Add the diluted chuño and mix. Add the chicken. Let it cook and remove from the fire.
Bon appetit!
You will love tipackay chicken! Cooking it is an experience, but if you want to try the authentic Chinese-Peruvian recipe, the best thing to do is to go to a chifa restaurant. And the good news is that every day this gastronomy is spreading around the world, so it is very likely that in your city there is already one of these establishments, usually run by families who have preserved the tradition of their native Peru.
If you are in Miami there are several places where you can go. If you ask us for our favorite, of course it is Chifa Du Kang. Have you heard about us?
We are waiting for you at Chifa Du Kang! We have two restaurants in Miami
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We are waiting for you at Chifa Du Kang! We have two chinese restaurants in Miami
If you worked up an appetite with this post about Tipakay Chicken, we invite you to come try it at our Chifa Du Kang. We are located on Kendall Dr and Bird Road. We have an extensive menu of authentic chifa food with this dish and many more. Also Peruvian desserts and drinks.
We have a special table waiting for you! Our food will take you on a journey straight to the heart of Peru, so don’t miss the opportunity to live this authentic chifa experience.
We reveal Peru’s best kept gastronomic secret. Come have lunch or dinner with us.
