Choosing a healthy and filling breakfast is essential because, as we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Variety is also crucial since nobody wants to eat a bowl of cereal every morning for the rest of their lives. So, why not try api con pastel?
Api con pastel is a traditional breakfast combination from Bolivia. ”Api” refers to api morado, also known as purple corn drink in English. Meanwhile, ”pastel” refers to pastel con queso, a type of fried pastry filled with cheese and topped with a sprinkle of sugar.
If you’re looking for a delicious way to start your morning, keep reading.
I’ll tell you precisely how to make api con pastel at home!
🥣 Api con Pastel at a Glance
Api con Pastel is one of Bolivia’s most beloved traditional breakfasts, pairing a warm, spiced purple corn drink called api morado with crispy cheese-filled pastries known as pasteles. This comforting combination is especially popular on chilly Andean mornings.
| 🌎 Origin | Bolivia |
| 🍽️ Course | Breakfast or Snack |
| 🌽 Main Ingredients | Purple corn, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, cheese-filled pastries |
| 👅 Flavor | Sweet, fruity, lightly spiced, and comforting with a savory cheese pastry |
| ⏱️ Prep Time | About 45–60 minutes |
| 🥟 Best Served | Hot with freshly fried pastel con queso |
| ⭐ Difficulty | Intermediate |
| 🇧🇴 Traditional Pairing | Api Morado with Pastel de Queso |
What Is Api con Pastel?
One of the most famous Bolivian breakfast meals, api con pastel consists of two essential elements: the api drink and the pastel, or pastry. The two types of api are api blanco and api morado.
Api blanco is a white corn drink made of the kernels of morocho corn.
On the other hand, api morado is a purple corn drink made of purple corn flour, much like the Peruvian chicha morada.
Among the two, api morado’s thick and hearty flavor is the preferred option for breakfast.
It’s so well-loved, in fact, that vendors all over Bolivia start selling it as early as 5 AM each day.
Both types of api can be accompanied by an assortment of pastries, such as buñuelos or, in most cases, pastel con queso.
Also known as cheese empanada, pastel con queso is a deep-fried Bolivian pastry with a melted cheese filling.
Chefs often sprinkle it with sugar to balance out the saltiness of the cheese.
How To Make Api con Pastel
You can follow the api con pastel recipe below to make the popular Bolivian dish to start off your day.
Ingredients
For the api morado:
- 1 1/2 cups (187.73 g) of ground purple corn or purple corn flour
- 5 cups (1.18 L) of water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- Zest from one small orange or lemon
- Sugar to taste
For the pastel con queso:
- 1 ½ cups (187.73 g) of all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable shortening
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) salt
- 2 tbsp (30 g) sugar
- 1/8 cup (30 ml) of hot water
- 1 cup (120 g) shredded cheese
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tbsp (15 g) confectioner sugar
Directions
Making the api morado:
- Soak the purple corn flour with some water and sugar overnight.
- Boil the water with the cinnamon and cloves. Make sure the spices don’t get burned during this process.
- Add the soaked purple corn flour and orange zest to the spiced water.
- Cook the mixture over low-medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add some sugar to taste and remove from heat.
- The api is ready to be served. It can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Making the pastel con queso:
- Sift the flour into a large bowl and combine it with salt and sugar.
- Heat the vegetable shortening to its boiling point and add to the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly.
- Slowly add the hot water and mix until everything comes together as a dough.
- Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Take the dough and form it into small balls to make your pastel skin.
- Sprinkle some flour on your working surface and roll each dough ball to form a thin pastel skin.
- Add cheese in the middle of the pastel skin. Fold the skin in half and carefully press the edges together to close the pastel.
- In a large pan, heat some oil to fry your pastel.
- Deep-fry the pastels until golden brown and cool them on a rack or paper towel.
- Sprinkle some confectioner sugar on top and serve while warm.
Final Thoughts
Simple yet tasty, there’s no question why api con pastel is adored in Bolivia. This pairing tastes exquisite together.
Plus, api con pastel is also very filling, making it a great energy source to help you power through the day.
Sources
- Bolivian Cookbook: Pastel de Queso
- Bolivia Bella: Api Blanco – White Corn Drink
- Bolivia Bella: Api Morado – Purple Corn Drink
- Gastronomia Bolivia: Pastel de Api
- Gastronomia Bolivia: Api de maiz morado
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.