For football fans, Ecuador is not only a strong Latin American team but also a country with a rich food culture. One of its most popular traditional dishes is encebollado, a delicious soup made with fresh fish, onion, tomato, spices and fragrant herbs, known equally for its taste and nutrition.

Usually served piping hot, the dish holds a special place in Ecuadorians' daily diet. If you want to enjoy the real taste of Ecuador at home, you can make this popular encebollado with a few simple ingredients.

Put 8 cups of water in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato, bell pepper, garlic, coriander leaves, ground cumin, achiote or paprika, and salt. When it comes to a good boil, add the cleaned pieces of tuna and let the fish cook for about 15-20 minutes.

When the fish is cooked, carefully lift it out into a separate bowl and flake it lightly with a fork. Add pieces of cassava (yuca) to the same hot broth and boil for another 10-15 minutes until the cassava is soft. When it is cooked, lift it out and set aside.

Let the vegetables and broth in the pot cool a little, then blend them into a smooth purée. Strain it through a sieve and return it to the main pot or a saucepan.

In a separate bowl, mix thinly sliced onion, lemon juice and salt and leave to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

Put the boiled cassava and flaked tuna into a large bowl and pour the hot, thick fish broth over them. Finally, top with the marinated onion and coriander leaves and serve your Ecuador-style encebollado.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.