We first encountered a dish called chaufa blanco at Pisco y Nazca Peruvian restaurant, and we were blown away. Also called arroz chaufa blanco, it refers to fried rice seasoned without soy sauce. The Pisco y Nazca version featured only asparagus and egg whites, and it was not heavily seasoned except for toasted sesame oil.
We were not able to find a specific recipe for chaufa blanco, but we loosely followed some tips from AI. Here’s our ad hoc recipe:
First, the night before, place 4 cups of cooked white jasmine rice in the fridge, spreading out so that the rice grains can separate and dry (we use a rimmed half-sheet pan, either covered in foil / Saran Wrap or by placing the rice into a gallon-sized food storage bag lying flat (but open) in the pan). Let that rice sit in the fridge overnight until you’re ready to cook.
Second, on the day of cooking: separate four eggs and place the egg whites only in a small mixing bowl (save the four yolks for another use). Stir in 1/8 tsp ground white pepper. Heat a large nonstick pan on medium heat with 2 tsp canola oil, then add the egg white. Lightly scramble until the egg whites are just set but still runny, then place back in the mixing bowl and set aside.
Third, microplane 2 tsp each fresh ginger and garlic (about 2 cloves) and finely chop the white part of one scallion (you can save the scallion green for another use); place in one prep bowl. Separately, prep about 6-7 asparagus spears. Remove tough ends, and then cut spears along a 2” diagonal; place in a different bowl.
Fourth, using the same nonstick pan, add 1 tsp canola oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion mixture and saute until fragrant (about a min). Then add 1 tsp canola oil and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Saute for 1 minute.
Fifth, add 1 tsp toasted sesame oil to the garlic, ginger, scallion, cumin mixture, then add the asparagus pieces. Saute until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 2-3 mins (see Note below). Next, add the four cups of cooked white rice to the pan, breaking up clumps and making sure the rice is heated through. Raise the heat to medium-high to slightly sear the rice.
Sixth, lower the heat back to medium, then fold in the partially cooked egg whites. Lightly saute until egg is fully cooked and incorporated into the dish, about 1 min.
Finally, season to taste with salt (we added about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp). Serve immediately. We enjoyed this dish a lot. It was not exactly like Pisco y Nazca’s version, but surprisingly close. We will make this again. (Oct. 2025)
Note: We noticed that our asparagus lost the attractive bright green hue that the restaurant version had. The next time, we may saute the asparagus until crisp-tender as the first step, then set aside before partially cooking the egg white, aromatics, rice, etc. Then we can fold the partially cooked asparagus and egg whites into the rice during the final minute of cooking.
Cooking Adventures 