Mazamorra chiquita is a typical soup of the Boyacá region, thick and made with ground corn. This version includes tripe, beef brisket and ribs, fava beans, arracacha, green beans, papa criolla, cubios, and other vegetables.
It is called “chiquita” to set it apart from the Antioquian mazamorra, which contains panela.
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Boyaca Mazamorra Chiquita
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients
- 500 g beef tripe (callo or menudo)
- 500 g beef brisket, cut into 2×2 cm cubes
- 250 g beef ribs
- 3 stalks cebolla larga (long green onion), finely chopped
- 250 g papa criolla (small Colombian yellow potatoes)
- 150 g papa sabanera (Colombian potatoes), diced
- 200 g arracacha, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup ground corn (maíz molido)
- ½ pound green peas
- ½ pound fava beans (habas)
- ½ pound fresh green beans (fríjol verde)
- ½ pound cubios (Andean tubers)
- ½ pound carrots, cut into 1×1 cm cubes
- 1 bunch chard (acelga) leaves, cut into small pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cilantro (one stem for the broth and chopped leaves for the picadillo)
- Water, as needed to cover
Preparation
- Cook the tripe. Cook the tripe in a pressure cooker for 1 hour. Remove it and cut it into 2×2 cm cubes, setting aside its cooking broth.
- Cook the meats. While the tripe cooks, place the ribs, brisket, garlic, cebolla larga (setting aside a part for the final picadillo), one cilantro stem, and salt in a large pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, adding more water if needed, until the meat is tender.
- Add the legumes and hardier vegetables. Add the fava beans, green beans, carrots, and cubios and cook 10 minutes.
- Add the tripe, potatoes, and the rest. Add the tripe with its cooking broth, the potatoes, arracacha, chard, and green peas, and cook 10 minutes more.
- Thicken with the ground corn and serve. Add the ground corn and let it cook, stirring, until the soup thickens. Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve with a picadillo made from the reserved cebolla larga and cilantro on top.
Chef’s Tips
The tripe is cooked separately, in a pressure cooker, and added to the soup once tender.
If needed, add more water while the meat cooks.
The ground corn goes in at the end and is cooked until the soup thickens.
Traditional Variations
There are simpler versions with beef, fava beans, peas, and potato, without tripe.
In the most traditional version, the porva corn is ground and left to rest and ferment for a few days; the dough is worked into the soup little by little.
Some recipes add turnips, chuguas, or ibias.
Traditional Serving Style
Mazamorra chiquita is served piping hot with a picadillo of cebolla larga and cilantro on top. It is usually accompanied by rice, oven-baked arepa de peto, and avocado.
Recommended Side Dishes
- White rice
- Oven-baked arepa de peto
- Avocado
Frequently Asked Questions
With ground corn, added at the end and cooked until the soup thickens. In some versions, corn flour is dissolved in water.
This version uses tripe, beef brisket, and beef ribs. There are simpler versions with beef and no tripe.
Because it needs about 1 hour in a pressure cooker before it is added to the soup.
To set it apart from the Antioquian mazamorra, which contains panela.
Yes. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking and eat it within 3 to 4 days; you can also freeze it in airtight containers. Always reheat to 74 °C (165 °F), adding a little water if needed.
