Hello Friends!

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Hallaca

This is my first participation in one of the contests of this great community. By way of information, the word 'hallaca' has its origin in the Guaraní language and derives from the word “ayúa” or “ayuar” which means to mix or stir. If we describe this dish based on its ingredients, it is clear that the Hallaca is the result of the mixture of cultures in the colonial period, towards the end of 1400. The banana leaf, wrapping of the Hallaca, was used by both the African black as for the American Indian. The corn dough with onoto is attributed to our indigenous ancestors and the filling, characterized by chicken, pork and beef, olives, capers, raisins, account for the arrival of the Spanish to the so-called New World. Without a doubt, it is the most worthy expression of miscegenation on the continent.

Then let's get started.
Ingredients for 50 Hallas:

Ingredients for the dough:

3 kilos of corn flour (PAN)
chicken broth (made from chicken cooking for the stew) (I used 18 cups)
water as needed. (I used 4 cups of water)
4 tablespoons of salt
6 tablespoons of Onoto (Achiote) seeds
1/2 liter of vegetable oil

Ingredients for the Stew:

1 kg. finely chopped pork leg
2 kg. finely chopped beef
2.5 kg. boiled and chopped chicken (without bones)
1 ½ kg. finely diced onions
1/2 kg. finely chopped garlic joint
1 cup chives finely chopped
3 heads of garlic peeled and crushed
1/2 cup of capers (100gr)
1 kg. red paprika, seeded and julienned
1 cup of raisins (175gr)
1/2 of cup of sweet pepper finely chopped
2 cups of red cooking wine (500ml or 1/2 liter, each cup has 250ml)
2 tablespoons cornmeal (PAN)

• Salt to taste (I added 1 and 1/2 tablespoons)
• Pepper to taste (I added 1 teaspoon)
  2 tablespoons of Onoto (Achiote) to color the oil in the stew.
  Chicken broth (maybe 1 cup)
• Onoted oil.

Ingredients for the Garnish:

1 kg. julienned paprika
½ kg. bacon cooked in strips
½ kg. boneless chicken breasts in strips
½ kg. onion in rings
250 grams capers
1/2 kg. of stuffed olives
½ kg. of raisins.

Preparación

There is a step prior to preparing our dish and this is the washing of the banana leaves.
I regularly wash them with plenty of soap and water. Then I dry them and with a cloth, I add oil and they will be ready to be used.

In a small pot, add the oil when it is very hot, add the annoto or achiote, when it is about to boil and the aonoto begins to turn the oil red, turn off and leave until it is red. Then, in a larger pot (where all the ingredients fit and you can make the stew), strain the oil. Then you add the ingredients while stirring with an enveloping movement from the vegetables to the meats. (The cooking time is 1 hour. 40 minutes for meats, taking into account that hens must be cooked separately for an hour).

With the stew already finished and the leaves prepared, we can only prepare the dough

In a large container we will add the three kilos of corn flour, the salt and stir. On the other hand, in a small pot we make the same preparation of the onoted oil. In a large tray we will add the three kilos of corn flour, the salt and stir. On the other hand, in a small pot we make the same preparation of the onoted oil.
Add the oil to the tray with the preparation and begin to knead until smooth. When you have the dough ready, take the banana leaf and spread it on a counter, make a ball the size of your hand and spread it out on the leaf then add a little of the stew (I use 2 tablespoons).

We now proceed to decorate before closing the Hallaca to cook it. For the decoration we will take a little of each ingredient provided for it and we will place it on the stew.

To close it, we will join two ends of one end with the two of the other and fold the sheet so that the dough does not come out of it, to seal, we will tie with wick.

Cooking.

In a large pot, we will place water and a scoop of salt in which when boiling we will place the Hallas that fit for 1 hour.

To finish, you take the Hallacas from the pot and place it in a place like the dishwasher to drain, cut the wick with scissors, open, serve and EAT !!!

Fact: "La Hallaca" is part of the typical traditional Christmas dish in Venezuela and we usually accompany it with chicken salad, ham bread, pork, among other contours.

Well dear, that's all for now!
I hope you like it!

The photos are of my property taken with my cell phone.