Chipá Guazú
- Marlene L
- Dec 3, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 5, 2023
Chipá Guazú, also known as Chipa Guasu in Guaraní, is a type of savory corn casserole cake (let me know if you have a better way of describing this wonderful dish please). This Paraguayan delicacy is crafted from corn (or choclo), onions and cheese (typically Paraguayan cheese, though regular cheese serves as a fitting alternative). The name is a delightful fusion of "chipa" (meaning bread) and "guasu" (signifying big in Guaraní)
While the precise origins of this dish remain elusive, lore suggests that the Guaraní Indigenous people pioneered it long before the era of colonisation. With the advent of Jesuit Missionaries, who introduced eggs, milk and cheese, the original recipe underwent a transformative evolution. This amalgamation of Indigenous Guaraní flavours and Spanish Colonial influence has since evolved into the delectable Chipá Guazú we relish today.
Serving Size: 12
Calories: 184 per serving (varies slightly with ingredients) 12.6g Fat | 13.2 g Carbohydrates | 3.4 g Proteins
Ingredients:
- 600 grams of Corn (better fresh, but canned will do just be sure to drain the liquid)
- 2 Eggs (can add more if you wish)
- 250 grams of Cheese (opt for a lactose-free or vegan cheese to accommodate allergies)
- 1 Onion (size depends on how must you like onion)
- 250 ml Milk (or milk alternatives if lactose intolerant)
- Salt and Pepper (season according to your taste)
- Butter or Oil (to keep it from sticking to the pan)
Steps:
1) Begin by gathering your ingredients, you don't want to be running back and forth from cupboard to cupboard ;) and preheat your oven to 180°C
2) Next up preparing your onion - dice, slice or mince it according to your preference. Then, heat some oil in a pan and sauté the onions until they achieve a golden-translucent hue. Optimal results are achieved over medium heat.
3) Simultaneously, as your onions are undergoing their transformation, grate your ear of corn to extract the kernels. If you're using canned corn (like I did), ensure to drain the liquid. Once done, transfer the corn kernels to a blender. This ingenious step simplifies the recipe and enhances its overall ease.
3) With your kitchen infused with the delightful aroma of sautéed onions, add them to the blender housing your corn kernels. This this mix, introduce salt, pepper, milk, eggs and cheese. The unblended mixture will look a bit strange, but this is part of the process, I promise.
4) Blend until you achieve a creamy consistency
5) Transfer the resulting golden blend into a generously buttered or oiled pan (pro tip - you can also put bits of butter into your mixture). Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top because let's face it, there's not such thing as too much cheese (unless, of course, you're lactose intolerant like me). Slide the pan into the oven and let it bake for around 30 to 40 minutes.
6) Once your Chipa Guasu attains a cake-like consistency, retrieve it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
7) And there you have it, just like in a video game, you unlocked the Chipá Guazú achievement. Well done. Now, all that's left is to Cut, Serve and Enjoy!
If you've gotten this far and wondering why I didn't take a picturesque photo of a sliced piece of Chipa Guasu, I mighta sorta kinda ate it all with some buddies before it even occurred to me... I'll try to resist the temptation in my next post.
Sources:
My mom's Paraguayan friend
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