How to make Venezuelan Hallacas

cornmeal

🥗Healthier: quinoa flour

💰Cheaper: all-purpose flour

Quinoa flour adds nutrition while all-purpose flour is more accessible.

beef

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: chicken

Turkey is leaner, while chicken is often less expensive.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier, while margarine is budget-friendly.

black olives

🥗Healthier: green olives

💰Cheaper: canned olives

Green olives are lower in calories, while canned olives are often cheaper.

Sautee bacon and add onions, garlic, leek, green onions and red pepper for 10 minutes.

Season diced steak, chicken and pork with mustard, salt, pepper, cumin, workshire sauce and red wine to taste.

Add meats to veggies and season with hot sauce to taste.

Add raisins, capers and molasses and simmer until meat is tender. Let cool.

Mix chicken stock, salt, molasses and onoto.

Slowly add flour and work into a soft dough.

Divide dough into golf sized balls. Cover and set aside.

Poach chicken breasts in water for 20 mins and let cool. Pull apart into strings and set aside.

Wash some banana leaves, cut the stem out and divide in 15-inch wide rectangles.

Dip each ball of dough in some coloured vegetable oil.

Flatten ball on a single leaf.

Add a scoop of stew, 2 pepper slices, 1 white onion ring, 1 olive, 2 raisins, a few chicken strings.

Fold into a rectangle and wrap in a second leaf.

Tie with string and cook on boiling water for about 20 mins. Serve on a single banana leaf.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens