Juane
Juane is the most emblematic dish of Peru's Amazon region, particularly associated with the city of Iquitos and the Festival of San Juan celebrated every June 24th. Named after John the Baptist, legend says the dish represents his head wrapped in cloth. The juane is a large, round parcel of seasoned rice mixed with beaten eggs, chicken, olives, and hard-boiled eggs, all wrapped in fragrant bijao leaves (Amazonian heliconia) and boiled until the rice absorbs all the flavors and sets into a firm, sliceable mass. The rice is seasoned with turmeric and sacha culantro (long coriander), giving it a golden color and distinctive Amazonian aroma. Opening a juane is a moment of anticipation, as the steaming parcel reveals a perfect orb of fragrant, golden rice with hidden treasures of chicken and egg inside.
Ingredients
- 500 g long-grain white rice, cooked and cooled
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and cumin
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons sacha culantro paste or cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 Botija olives, pitted
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- 8 large bijao leaves or banana leaves
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Kitchen string for tying
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
8 step-by-step instructions with timers and hands-free Cook Mode narration, in the OriginEats app.
- Portion scaling for any number of servings
- Auto-generated grocery list, grouped by aisle
- Add it to your weekly meal plan in one tap
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 20 g
