Nicaraguan Rundown Recipe: an exquisite food from the Atlantic of Nicaragua

You’ve come here asking yourself: How is Rondon made? We’ll give you the answer! This exquisite dish from the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, is a typical dish and food par excellence for the islanders of Nicaragua, so here you will know how to prepare this Nicaraguan recipe, so paper and pencil! Let’s light our kitchen!

History of the rondón

The word «Rondón» is a pronunciation derived from the English word «Run Down», this is a traditional dish that has been part of the island culture for many years, say centuries. This meal is made from fish, snail, pork tail, yam, yucca, banana, breadfruit and coconut milk.

We tell you that there are two ways to make this recipe, not to kill the story from here you will know:

First recipe of the Rondón

Ingredients

• 2 liters of coconut milk (the main thing)
• 2 pounds cooked smoked meat
• 1 pound cassava
• 2 chiltomas, chopped julienne
• 1 pound of quequisque or malanga
• 1 julienne chopped onion
• 4 ripe bananas (the amount is optional, but do not pass)
• 4 green bananas (same is optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon of achiote
• 3 or 4 coriander leaves (measure with flavor)
• 1 chile goat (in case you want it chiludito)
• 1/2 breadfruit
• for the season the salt and pepper to the touch

Preparation

1. To start you need about 2 liters of coconut milk in a deep pan or boiler, we light the firewood or whatever you’re going to cook, we boil the milk.
2. We add: coriander leaves, chiltoma, onions, chili, achiote or achote, a little salt and pepper to your liking to give it that seasoning you want, also if you do not want to spend too much we recommend you buy everything in the market. Once we have all our spices we add the meat.
3. When the meat is cooked, you proceed to put quequisque, yucca and once these two elements are ready (you have to try their texture), you add the bread fruit, these strips in pieces and now you add the bastimento that in this case would be, ripe or green banana.

Tips:

1. To make the coconut milk, you only need a large striped coconut, add water, move it until you notice that semi-white consistency and strain it, so that there is not a single piece.
2. If you don’t find smoked meat or it is expensive because try to change it for normal salted meat or the best of all, turtle meat or fish, Watch out! If you make it with fish, be sure to add it until the end, or when the vegetable burst, remember that this meat is very soft and we do not want it to fall apart.
3. Once you see that it is already feeling color and smell, try the water and if you feel that it is simple, then add more salt and pepper and ready! to taste.

Rundown Second Recipe

Ingredients for Rondón:

• 2 Big and Dry Coconuts.
• 2 pounds of fish
• Beef or turtle
• Smoked Pork Rib
• 1 pound cassava
• 3 green bananas
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 hot chili
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Procedure to do Rundown

1. Prepare the coconut milk, peel and grate it. Put the grated coconut in a hole and add 2 cups of hot water.
   To remove the milk, squeeze, strain and cook at medium temperature or low heat for at least 12 to 15 minutes, in this time move and stir so that not even a residue sticks.
2. Do not cook more than this time because otherwise the milk will be cut and will release a lot of fat and therefore the dish will look «pelotoso».
3. Peel the bananas and yucca, cut them into pieces and mezcalmos with the whole chile, now, do not cut the chile so that it does not release too much acid and the food is not so spicy, we want it to have that special seasoning, so it is eatable.
   Mix all this with the coconut milk and boil it for about 15 minutes.
4. Then place the raw fish, smoked meat or turtle fin.
5. Now we arrange everything and add the peppers, the onion and the chopped garlic.
6. Cover the pot so that everything steams, let it simmer and check the vegetables and meats from time to time. When we feel that they are soft, we turn off the kitchen and serve it.
7. What do we serve it with? With Gallo Pinto with coconut or try the individual dish.

Some tips:

1. Watch out! If you’re going to make it beef, the meat is placed first along with the bananas.
2. Follow the times as they are to make it perfect.
3. If you cook with fish remember to watch it so that it does not fall apart, measure your cooking time well.

Now it’s your turn to make the recipe of the rondón or Rundown and eat it in one bite, we would love to know how you are doing and if you can comment would be the success, until next time and we hope you enjoy this typical Nicaraguan food.