Ingredients for making “pastel” dough
4 pounds taro root
2 sets of green banana (1 set = 10-12 bananas)
1 green plantain
1 can of Chicken Broth (14 ½ ounces)
1 tbsp of annatto seeds
1 cup of oil
1 package of “Sazón” (¼ tsp) (salt, garlic, cumin, coriander, annatto)
1 tbsp “Sofrito” (green pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, recao, sweet pepper)
Salt to taste
Procedure:
- Pour oil into frying pan and place annatto seeds in pan. Cook at medium heat.
Stir occasionally and remove pan from heat when the oil starts to bubble or turns red.
- Peel green bananas, plantain and tarro roots. Put them inside a bowl with salt and water.
- Using the grater side with the smallest openings, grate the bananas, taro roots, and
plantain. Leave the plantain for last.
- Place the grated mix on large bowl andd stir the mixture until well blended.
- Add to the mix the following ingredients: “sofrito”, “sazon”, and chicken broth.
Remove the annatto seeds from the oil and add oil to the mix.
- Mix all ingredients with a spoon untill well blended.
- Taste the mix to ensure it has enough salt. If not, add more salt to taste.
Ingredients for cooking the chicken
12 boneless skinless breasts
1 tbsp of “Adobo” (salt, cumin, garlic, black pepper, turmeric)
1 tbsp “Sofrito” (green pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, recao, sweet peppers)
1 package of “Sazón” (¼ tsp) (salt, garlic, cumin, coriander, annatto)
2 cups of water
Procedure:
- Cut chicken into small pieces.
- Place chicken and remaining ingredientts on a pot. Cook at medium heat.
- When the meat is cooked, change temperrature to low heat.
Ingredients for making one (1) pastel
1 piece of enparchment paper cut in rectangular shape (approximately 12″ x 14″)
Banana leaf
1 piece of fine thread (36″ long)
1 tsp of cooked chicken juice
1 large spoon of the “pastel” dough
1 tsp raisins (you will need a large box for all the “pasteles”)
2-3 olives (you will need 1 big jar)
2-3 chickpeas (you will need 2 cans of chickpeas)
2-3 small pieces of pimentos (you will need a medium size jar)
Procedure:
- Place enparchment paper on flat surface. Place banana leaf on top of paper
and try to cover most of the paper.
- Using a metal spoon, pour chicken juice on middle of banana leaf and
spread to the sides covering an area of 3″ wide by 5″ long.
- Place “pastel” dough on top of banana leaf and spread to cover the area specified above.
- Place the remaining ingredients in the following order: chicken, raisins, olives,
chickpeas and pimentos.
- Fold paper by the side with the largest length to mix all the ingredients.
- Fold the remaining sides towards the inside to form a rectangle.
- Tight “pastel” with thread in such a way that all four sides of the “pastel are covered
so the mix won’t come out. See picture below.
- Repeat above steps for the remaining “pasteles”.
- Place enough “pasteles” inside large pot with water. Cook “pasteles” at medium heat for
1 hour. (Water should cover the “pasteles”)
