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Pastelles
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad's Christmas tradition. Families spend Christmas Eve making hundreds. Gifted to neighbours and friends.
Trinidadian Christmas parcels — corn dough filled with spiced beef, olives and capers, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. Made only at Christmas in enormous quantities.
Prep
60 mins
Cook
30 mins
Difficulty
Hard
Calories
445 kcal
Serves
12
Calories are an estimate based on ingredients used
Ingredients
500gmasarepa corn flour
400mlwarm water
1 tspsalt
400gbeef mince
2 tbspWorcestershire sauce
50golives, chopped
2 tbspcapers
1onion, diced
banana leavescut into squares
Method
1
Mix masarepa with water and salt. Make filling: fry mince with onion, Worcestershire, olives and capers.
2
Spread corn dough on banana leaf. Add filling. Fold tightly.
3
Tie with string. Steam 25-30 minutes.
Chef's Tip
Soften banana leaves over a flame before wrapping — stiff leaves crack and tear.
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Some recipe photos courtesy of Openverse and Wikimedia Commons contributors, used under Creative Commons licenses.