Puerto Rican Alcapurrias with Beef Picadillo

What you need

• 60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil, for the annatto oil
• 1 tbsp annatto seeds
• 4 green bananas, firm and fully green, about 500 g peeled
• 400 g (14 oz) yautia, also sold as malanga; peeled
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, for the dough
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for the picadillo
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 250 g (9 oz) ground beef
• 3 tbsp tomato sauce
• 30 g (1 oz) green olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt, for the picadillo
• 1 l (4 cups) neutral oil, for deep-frying

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Warm the vegetable oil and annatto seeds in a small pan over low heat for 3 min, until the oil turns a deep red-gold. Strain out the seeds and let the oil cool.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and bell pepper for 4 min, until soft.

3. 3

   Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Cook, stirring, until it is browned and cooked through, 7-8 min.

4. 4

   Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, oregano and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer for 3 min, then stir in the cilantro. Spread the picadillo on a plate and let it cool completely.

5. 5

   Cut the ends off the green bananas, slit the peels lengthwise and pry them off with a knife. Peel the yautia.

6. 6

   Grate the bananas and yautia on the finest holes of a box grater, or purée them in a food processor, into a thick sticky paste.

7. 7

   Stir in the annatto oil and the 1 1/2 tsp salt until the dough is evenly tinted. Work quickly, since the grated bananas darken when left alone.

8. 8

   Rub your hands with a little annatto oil. Scoop about 75 g of dough into your palm and flatten it into an oval about 10 cm (4 in) long.

9. 9

   Put a heaped tablespoon of picadillo down the center. Bring the dough up and over the picadillo, then pinch the seam shut and roll gently into a short cylinder. Repeat to make about 12.

10. 10

    Pour the frying oil into a heavy pot to a depth of 5 cm (2 in) and heat to 175 °C (350 °F).

11. 11

    Fry 3-4 alcapurrias at a time, turning them now and then, until deep golden and crisp, 6-8 min. The dough inside should be cooked through.

12. 12

    Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a rack or paper towels to drain. Serve hot.

Imported from africanbites.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.