You want something tasty to spread but you’re bored with conventional flavors. Arepas, sandwiches, pasta, rice can benefit from the succulent flavor of the pyre. Surely you will ask yourself: “What is pyre?” A traditional Venezuelan dish that comes from colonial times. This meal is made from ground ingredients in the form of a puree, always mixed with a stew. In ancient times, the leaves of a wild plant called pyre were added, for this reason its name, but today this dish is rarely prepared with this leaf. In each state of the country, it is prepared differently, even undergoing small variations from family to family.
The flavor of the pyre and its nutrients make it an excellent option when it comes to accompanying different dishes. The pumpkin and banana pyre version that we bring is a very simple dish, whose flavor is very similar to the traditional Venezuelan hallaca stew. Divine!
Ingredients to make Pumpkin and Banana Pira:
Base Pyre:
- 500 grams of Auyama
- 2 banana
- 100 grams of grated white cheese
- 100 Butter
Stir-fry:
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 spring onion
- 2 sweet peppers
- 2 Eggs
- 1 jet of oil
How to make Pumpkin and Banana Pira:
Arrange all the ingredients in their correct measurements on the work table to prepare the pumpkin and banana pyre. Pour a splash of oil into a saucepan and let it heat up well. At this point, pour the vegetables to make the Venezuelan pyre sauce. Then remove from heat and reserve. On the other hand, boil the pumpkin until its texture is tender.
In another saucepan, place the bananas to boil as well. Prick with a fork to check that they are soft and at the right point of cooking to obtain a perfect pumpkin and banana pie.
Once the bananas and pumpkin are ready, drain them very well. Prepare a puree with the pumpkin and banana. When it’s ready, mix it with the cheese to enhance the flavor of the Venezuelan pyre. Stir very well, until you achieve a smooth consistency for the pumpkin and banana pyre.
Add the sofrito that you reserved to the mixture and integrate everything. The pumpkin pie is almost ready. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add two eggs and stir well. The pumpkin and banana pyre is ready! How tasty is the pumpkin and banana pyre! This Venezuelan spread is smooth, creamy and its flavor reminds me of the stews to prepare hallaca in December. Every house has its secret touch!
On the Venezuelan pyre
During the Lenten season, some traditional families in Caracas and Barlovento prepare pyre made with ingredients such as: chayote, lechesa Verde, pyre Blanca, onion, and paprika and tomato sauce. In the states of Anzoátegui and Guárico, boiled and ground eggplant, accompanied by a stew, is known as pyre. In Guyana and Los Llanos, a mashed banana or pumpkin, seasoned with a sauce. In the rural area of Lara state, pyre leaves are cooked with peas, lentils, chickpeas or white beans, accompanied by a stew.
In the old Caracas of “the red roofs” a pyre wrapped in banana or capuche leaves was sold in the market. The mixture contained: purslane, cabbage, wheat flour, butter and cheese, and the pyre leaf. All mixed in the form of paste.
There are many bibliographical references about this interesting recipe, in addition to referring to all the variants of this worthy representative of Venezuelan gastronomy, geographical references and historical notes are explained.
