Chapaleles are traditional potato bread from Chiloe Island in southern Chile. Chileans farther north are not necessarily familiar with them, and we mostly know about them because they are mentioned in a popular folkloric song, “El Curanto.”
I’ve only been to Chiloe once since I was still in high school. I honestly do not remember the taste of Chapaleles, but I wanted to feature them here in the blog. The recipe is straightforward, and since Chiloe Island is one of the areas where it is believed that the domestic potato crop started, it makes sense that it has been incorporated into something so fundamental in the Chilean diet as bread.
Chapalele has a soft and chewy texture but a distinct flavor imparted by the potatoes. It is a hearty and filling dish that is especially popular during the colder months in Chile when warm comfort foods are appreciated.
Another traditional bread from Chiloe Island is the Milcao, made without flour and only with a mixture of cooked and raw potatoes.
The most traditional way to eat Chapaleles is steamed and cooked in the traditional Curanto. I have also heard of fried or pan-fried versions or baked like this recipe.
What is a Curanto?
Curanto is a traditional dish from the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile. A pit is dug in the ground, filled with hot stones, and layered with shellfish, pork, chicken, sausages, and traditional potato pieces of bread like Chapalele and Milcao. The pit is then covered with Gunnera (nalca) leaves and earth to trap steam, and the food is cooked over several hours. Curanto is a meal and a communal event, reflecting the region’s rich culinary traditions.
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Chilean Potato Bread
Full of flavor Chilean potato bread.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes
- 1/2 pound of flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter or soft butter
- pork cracklings chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a pot with cold water and salt, put the peeled and chopped potatoes. Cook over high heat until it boils, lowers the heat to medium, should continue to boil vigorously for 15 minutes or until all the potatoes are cooked.
- Drain and return potatoes to the pot, uncovered. Allow cooling, about 15 minutes. Mash well.
- Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
- Place the mash potatoes in a bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and butter. Mix everything with a wooden spoon and then knead with hands until a wet dough form.
- Divide dough into 12 portions, place a spoonful of pork cracklings if desired into each portion and shape. Place on a baking sheet.
- If you want the bread to be all the same size, weigh the dough, I made mine 100 grams each.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
This was a sponsored recipe by Mirum Shopper in 2016. All opinions are my own.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Can i replace the butter using oil instead?
I don’t know, I haven’t tried.