Tacu-tacu

Tacu what? I'd never heard of it either until Christina cooked it for me a few weeks ago. I've had my share of Peruvian food, my favorite being pollo saltado, a delicious concoction of chicken, rice, and french fries, I've had the Peruvian ceviche, and even those potatoes with chunky cheese that Carla loves. But I have never had tacu-tacu, and so thanks to Christina, my Peruvian food repertoire has been expanded.
Tacu-tacu is a rice and bean side-dish usually served below a hearty stew (now, I'm not totally sure of this, but this what I gathered from Christina's explanation of a traditional meal with tacu-tacu). We did not eat it with stew, but rather had it accompanied by fresh shellfish and sea bass simmered in white wine and tomatoes. But the tacu-tacu still served its purpose of soaking up the wonderful wine-tomato sauce. Tacu-tacu is basically spicy rice and smashed white beans mixed together and fried. I know, how could you not like that? Here's a rough recipe, I don't have exact measurements or anything, and I assume you all know how to cook rice, but this makes enough for 4 people:

Tacu Tacu

Rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked...I'm guessing here!)
1 chipotle pepper with 1 tsp adobo sauce (from a can)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans white butter beans
1/2 large red onion, julienned
2 small tomatoes, diced small
1/2 diced serrano pepper
salt to taste

Chop the chipotle pepper and add to a medium saucepan with the adobo sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic, and the rice. Add water and cook the rice until fluffy and soft.

In a blender, partly puree the 2 cans of butter beans. You want them slightly chunky.

Meanwhile, sweat the onion and remaining clove of minced garlic in a frying pan. Ass the diced tomatoes and serrano pepper. Cook until fragrant.

In a separate bowl, mix the beans, rice, and onion mixture with your hands until it has a goo-like consistency. Salt to taste and let cool.

Heat oil in a frying pan and form the cooled rice mixture into a big pancake and cook until brown. Flip and cook the other side.
Serve under any stew-like meat, fish, or veggies. If you don't like your food too spicy, omit the serrano or chipotle, but it's awfully good with both peppers, and the beans cool it down a bit.

*Now, if you can actually find the Peruvian spicy pepper condiment called "aji", you can make the rice plain, and skip the onion/pepper/tomato mixture by simply adding aji when you mix the rice and beans. Scott and I found it once at an obscure Peruvian store in Orange County, but have yet to find it in the Bay Area...the search continues!
Also, you can buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce at Whole Foods, the can looks like this (and no, you don't have to buy 12 of them like the photo suggests). Did you know a chiptole pepper is a smoked jalapeno?
Enjoy =)