This gluten-free version of Colombian Stuffed Potatoes or Papas Rellenas Colombianas is a delicious way to enjoy the flavours of South America at home
I first became enamoured by Colombian Stuffed Potatoes when I found its recipe on My Colombian Recipes. I felt that the spices and flavours described in the recipe would suit my Indian palate very well indeed. However, I hesitated to try it as it required flour and egg. I have stayed away from eggs all my life and recently, I have also gone gluten free. But the recipe tempted me and that’s when I decided to make a gluten-free version of my own.
It took a lot of experimentation to get a gluten-free crust that looked like the one made with flour. I used chickpea flour instead of flour and while flour itself has a mild flavour, chickpea flour has a taste of its own. So yes, the final taste will probably vary from that of authentic Colombian Stuffed Potatoes but the spicy flavour is still tangible.
My Indian readers would probably feel that this sounds a lot like Batata Vada or Bonda. Yes, there is a lot of similarities since both are made from boiled potatoes and chickpea flour (besan). The method is slightly different but that’s what makes it fun, right? From India to Colombia, we are bound by our love for potatoes! Try this one out, you’ll definitely enjoy it!
(This recipe is part of our series on how our love of potatoes transcends cultural boundaries. Check out the series here.)
Colombian Stuffed Potatoes recipe
Makes 6
Ingredients:
200 gms potatoes, boiled
1/4 cup, leaves of green onions, chopped
25 gms peas
25 gms carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely copped
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Method:
Cool the boiled potatoes for two hours and then peel them.
In a bowl mash the potatoes and mix salt and corn starch. Ensure the mashed potatoes don’t have any lumps. Set aside.
Lightly cook the peas and carrots for five minutes in a little water.
Sauté the chopped onion and tomato in around 1 tsp of oil.
In a bowl, mix together the onion leaves, the sautéed tomato and onion, and the peas and carrots. Add salt, cumin powder, red chilli powder and pepper powder. Mix well.
Take some of the potato mix and press it into a small circle. Fill it with the vegetable mixture and close the edges to form a ball.
In a bowl, mix the chickpea flour, rice flour, salt and turmeric powder with enough to make a thick batter.
Heat oil in a pan. Dip the potato balls in the batter and drop them into the oil. Fry till done.
Serve warm.
“Never judge a potato by its skin. One day, it will be french fries.”
– Ian Wilson
The Vegetarians' Kitchen 