Ruigas

In my small kitchen, which is filled with snacks and treats of all varieties to satisfy the perception of flavor, lives my country. Sometimes, it becomes the recipes so simple to make that the term “comfort food” can't seem to capture the beauty of a meal. Rigas are often remembered in El Salvador as a commoner’s food that grew in popularity during the Civil War ( 1979 - 1992), the era in which the woman who frequented my kitchen grew up. But to them, it represents home; plain and simple. The mountains in which corn grows plentiful and became a staple for the country. 

It's a fairly simple dish; there isn't much to it other than corn, butter, salt, and banana leaves. But to the woman in the kitchen (including me) this becomes a dish of pride. My mother Yanira, has an arsenal of recipes, and yet this one is her favorite. “It makes the house smell good, and one thing about corn… the smell lingers,” she told me when I asked her what she loved about this dish. 

In that small kitchen, with a sharp sound of the ends being cut off the corn, to the exposing if the sweet yellow kernels after the husk has hidden it from the world. The aroma of the transformed kernels is toasted inside the leaf that will house it until it is ready to eat. Dress it up or down there is no denying the simplicity may remind you of home. 

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Ruiguas (Corn Patties)

Yield 4

Author Alexandria Flores

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Total time

25 Min

A simple yet delicious snack, every ingredient shines through in this classic Salvadorian snack.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 6 husks of fresh sweet corn
• Two sticks of unsalted butter
• One pint of whole milk
• Salt To Taste
• Banana Leaves*

Optional ingredients

• Central american sour cream
• Queso Duro*

Instructions

1. Peel the husk of the corn to reveal the kernels
2. Cut the ends of the corn
3. Grab your knife, touch the top of the cob, and cut downward; repeat until only the body of the corn is left and a majority of the kernels are off
4. In a small mixing bowl, add the kernels, butter, milk, and salt to taste and mix together
5. Incorporate the mixture into the food processor and pulsate until the mixture has turned into a dough-like texture
6. Wash and dry your banana leaves (Simple dish soap will suffice)
7. Pre-heat your griddle for 5 minutes until it is hot-to-touch
8. Get your griddle and toast leaves for 5 minutes or until leaves start turning from a dark green to a light green
9. Grab an individual banana leaf, and put a oil spoon amount of mixture into the middle of the banana leaf
10. Place folded leaf on the griddle and leave for fifteen minutes; repeat on the other side
11. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: When shopping for banana leaves remember to get full and fresh banana leaves as they will not break during the stuffing process, dry leaves will crack and create an uneven taste  

Note: 2 Normally this cheese is found in specialty Central American stores, this cheese is hard, salty, and dried-aged always found in the form of a brick.