📍 Junín
Papa a la huancaína
Boiled potatoes covered with a creamy fresh-cheese and yellow-ají sauce, served with egg, olives, corn and lettuce.
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Waiting and resting
- 0 min
History
Papa a la huancaína is one of Peru’s best-known starters and is closely associated with the central Andes and Huancayo in Junín. The dish brings together Andean potato with a sauce of yellow ají, cheese and milk, a combination that reflects Peru’s culinary mestizaje.
Ingredients
Preparation
- 1
Boil 1 kg potatoes for 20-25 minutes until tender; peel and cut into thick slices.
- 2
Sauté ½ onion and 3 yellow ají peppers for 5 minutes, then let cool slightly.
- 3
Blend 200 g fresh cheese with 120 ml milk and 60 ml oil for 2 minutes, adding the sautéed mixture until smooth.
- 4
Season with the juice of ½ lemon and salt, adjusting the consistency with a little more milk if needed.
- 5
Spoon the sauce over the potatoes and serve with 2 eggs, 4 olives, 100 g corn and lettuce.
Cooking tips
- If the sauce is too thick, add milk in 15 ml portions so it does not become runny.
References to consult
References provide information about the dish, its context or a technique. Quantities in this version may differ from those in the source.
Keep exploring
More flavors from Peru
🍽️ Lunch⏱ 60′Peruvian ají de gallina
Shredded chicken in a creamy yellow ají sauce with bread, milk, pecans and cheese, served over potato.
🍽️ Lunch⏱ 30′Peruvian fish ceviche
Very fresh white fish briefly marinated with lime, ají limo, red onion and cilantro, served with sweet potato and corn.
🍽️ Lunch⏱ 40′Peruvian lomo saltado
Peruvian wok stir-fry of beef, onion, tomato and yellow ají, finished with soy sauce and vinegar and served with French fries and rice.