---
title: "Chilean Toasted Flour Mix — Homemade Harina Tostada Recipe"
description: "It's a fairly simple yet versatile preparation. It involves sautéing vegetables mixed with hot water and toasted flour to form a thick, coffee-colored mixture, similar to a puree, which is delicious and very nutritious."
url: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/toasted-flour-mix-recipe/
date: 2023-12-12
modified: 2026-06-30
author: "Carlos Uhart M."
image: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Toasted-Flour-Mix-Recipe.jpg
categories: ["Appetizers"]
tags: ["Appetizers"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Chilean Toasted Flour Mix — Homemade Harina Tostada Recipe

[Versión en Español](https://comidaschilenas.com/receta-de-pavo-de-harina-tostada/)

![Chilean Toasted Flour Mix Recipe](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Toasted-Flour-Mix-Recipe.jpg)*Chilean Toasted Flour Mix Recipe*

Chilean toasted flour mix — harina tostada or pavo — is a hearty ancestral preparation made by sautéing onion, garlic, and bell pepper, then mixing with hot water and toasted wheat flour until a thick, coffee-colored porridge forms, ready in just 15 minutes. A staple of Chilean rural and indigenous cooking, it is equally suitable for breakfast or a quick dinner and delivers around 350 calories per serving.

## How to Make Toasted Flour Mix?

Toasted flour mix is a simple but technique-dependent preparation: the critical step is adding the flour gradually while stirring constantly, so it incorporates smoothly into the hot liquid without forming lumps. The result should be a thick, cohesive mixture — similar in texture to a very stiff polenta — which can be adjusted thinner or thicker by controlling the amount of flour and water added.

## Nutritional Information

Each serving of Chilean toasted flour mix contains approximately 350 calories, 60 g of carbohydrates, 8 g of fats, 10 g of protein, 4 g of fiber, and 400 mg of sodium.

## Chilean Toasted Flour Mix Recipe

**Preparation:** 5 minutes

**Cooking:** 10 minutes

**Servings:** 1 person

### Ingredients

- 400 ml of hot water
- 200 g of toasted flour
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
- Oil or beef fat
- Merkén (Chilean spice)
- Salt

### Instructions

1. In a large skillet, add a tablespoon of oil or beef fat, heat over high heat and add the finely chopped onion, a bit of salt, garlic, and bell pepper. Sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until the onion becomes translucent.
2. Add the hot water (previously boiled) and stir gently to integrate aromas and flavors.
3. Gradually add the toasted flour and stir constantly until you get a homogeneous and lump-free mixture.
4. Continue stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes until everything is well cooked and acquires a thick consistency, adjusting with water or toasted flour as necessary.
5. Serve hot or cold, alone or as a side, optionally sprinkle a bit of merkén, chopped parsley, or oregano, and accompany with mate or apple chicha.

## Additional Tips

### Add the flour gradually while stirring — adding it all at once creates lumps

Pour the toasted flour in a slow, steady stream while stirring the liquid continuously with a wooden spoon or whisk. If lumps form, lower the heat and work them out with the back of the spoon before adding more flour. A lump-free mixture depends entirely on this gradual addition technique — the same principle that applies when making polenta or béchamel sauce.

### Use beef fat instead of oil for the traditional flavor

Beef fat (sebo) is the traditionally used fat in rural Chilean cooking for this preparation and produces a richer, earthier result than vegetable oil. If you do not have beef fat, lard is the closest substitute. Olive oil or vegetable oil work perfectly well and produce a lighter, more modern version. The fat is especially important for flavor when using the basic 3-ingredient version without bell pepper or garlic.

### Aim for slightly looser than the final target — it thickens further as it cools

Toasted flour mix thickens significantly as it cools, as the starches in the toasted flour continue absorbing liquid after heat is removed. If you cook it to the exact desired consistency in the pan, it will be noticeably stiffer by the time it reaches the table. Remove from heat while it is still slightly more fluid than your target, and allow resting for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

| Ingredient | Substitution and result |
| --- | --- |
| Toasted wheat flour | Toasted rice flour — gluten-free; slightly lighter texture; same technique |
| Beef fat | Olive oil — lighter result; less traditional earthy flavor |
| Merkén | Smoked paprika — similar smoky heat; widely available outside Chile |
| Red bell pepper | Green bell pepper — slightly less sweet; same quantity; works identically |

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

### 1. What is toasted flour (harina tostada) and where can I find it?

Harina tostada is wheat flour that has been dry-toasted in a pan or oven until it turns a light tan to coffee color and develops a nutty, toasty aroma — a traditional process that also extends its shelf life. In Chile it is sold pre-toasted in supermarkets and local markets. Outside Chile, you can make it at home by toasting plain wheat flour in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant.

### 2. What is the difference between ñaco, ulpo, and pavo?

All three are preparations made with toasted flour, differing mainly in liquid and consistency. Ñaco is toasted flour mixed with cold water or chicha into a semi-liquid drink — traditionally consumed cold, often in the field by rural workers. Ulpo is toasted flour dissolved in hot water or milk into a thick drink, frequently sweetened with sugar. Pavo (also called harina tostada guisada) is the savory cooked version in this recipe — toasted flour mixed into a hot sautéed vegetable base until it forms a thick, porridge-like consistency eaten with a spoon.

### 3. Can I make this recipe sweet instead of savory?

Yes — this is the ñaco or ulpo tradition. For a sweet version, skip the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and salt entirely. Dissolve the toasted flour in 400 ml of warm milk, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar (or honey), a pinch of cinnamon, and stir until smooth. The result is a comforting sweet porridge consumed hot at breakfast or as a light dinner — a preparation especially common in the Coquimbo region, where it is known as cocho.

### 4. What is merkén and where can I find it?

Merkén is a Mapuche spice made from dried, smoked red chilies — usually the cacho de cabra variety — combined with coriander seeds and salt. It has a distinctive smoky heat and complex flavor that distinguishes it from standard chili powders. In Chile it is sold in most supermarkets. Outside Chile, it can be found in Latin American specialty stores and online. Smoked paprika blended with a small amount of cayenne is the closest widely available substitute.

## What Is Chilean Toasted Flour Mix?

Chilean toasted flour mix — harina tostada, ñaco, or pavo — is a traditional thick porridge made from toasted wheat flour mixed with sautéed vegetables and hot water, one of the oldest and most economical preparations in the Chilean culinary tradition. It appears under different names and consistencies across all regions of Chile: in the Biobío region, ñaco refers to both a liquid hot drink and a thick savory preparation; in the Araucanía, a similar dish called ulpo salado is made with pork cracklings; and in the Coquimbo region, the sweet version is known as cocho. Despite regional variation in name and form, all versions share the same ancestral ingredient — toasted wheat flour — that was a cornerstone of Chilean indigenous and rural cooking for centuries.

## History of Toasted Flour Mix in Chile

The use of toasted grains as a portable, calorie-dense food source has roots in Andean and Mapuche culture predating the Spanish arrival in Chile. The Mapuche people used ground toasted grains mixed with water as a sustaining travel food — a tradition shared across many Andean cultures, where similar preparations appear as api (Bolivia), machica (Peru and Ecuador), and gofio (Canary Islands). The Spanish colonizers brought wheat to Chile in the 16th century, which replaced or supplemented the native grains in these preparations. Toasted wheat flour became particularly important in rural Chilean life as an affordable, calorie-dense, and shelf-stable ingredient that could sustain farm workers through long hours of physical labor with minimal preparation. The savory version with sautéed vegetables — the pavo — became standard household food across rural Chile, while the sweet and liquid versions (ñaco, ulpo) were consumed as field drinks by agricultural workers. Though it has largely disappeared from urban Chilean cooking, harina tostada remains a living culinary tradition in rural communities and among those preserving indigenous Chilean food culture.

## Did You Know?

In the Coquimbo region, a sweet version of toasted flour mix called cocho is prepared in all its variants — a thick mixture of toasted flour with fat, onions, and seasonings for the savory version, or with water or milk and sugar for the sweet one. Cocho is considered a signature preparation of the Norte Chico region of Chile and appears in regional food festivals dedicated to preserving traditional Chilean country cooking.

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