Papa a la huancaiana (huancayo style potatoes)

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Potatoes
150 grams Fetta cheese
150 grams Cream cheese
1 cup Milk
1 Chilli pepper
Herbs
Peanuts
Tumeric
Chilli powder

Directions

OPTIONAL

This is a delicious and super easy way to eat potatoes. It is usually served as a cold entree in restaurants and is a favourite way for farmers and city folk alike when cheese is available. A cheese and herbs sauce is poured over boiled and peeled potatoes. The cheese and hgerbs are ground in a "batan" which is a hand operated grinding stone (mortar and pestle) and a tool found in all Peruvian households. We are substituting this with a blender.

Ingredients (for 6 to 8 serves) 1. Potatoes - boiled in their skins and peeled. If very big, cut into two or four pieces. Try all varieties currently available and see which ones you like best.

2. A fresh cheese is used which is best substituted with 150-200g of fetta cheese (more if it is not too salty and less if it is very salty), and more or less 150g of cream cheese.

3. 1 cup of milk

4. 1 (or more) chilli peppers

5. Huacatay (a herb from the marigold [tagetes] family; substitute parsley, basil or other herbs if you like).

Optional: peanuts, tumeric, chilli powder.

Go for it: Pour in enough milk to cover blades of the blender. Add the two cheeses, the chilli pepper and herbs. Add more milk until it is slightly runny and green in colour. If you do not use any herbs, it is still yummy and will be the colour of the chilli you used.

You are ready: Pour over potatoes either in individual plates or in a flat dish. In coastal environments in Peru, the potato is usually served on a lettuce leaf and garnished with a quarter piece of hard boiled egg and a black olive. In more rural settings, the sauce is placed in a bowl and the unpeeled potatoes are served separately. everyone will sit around, choose the variety of potatoes they like best, peel it and dip it in the sauce. It tastes great both ways.

Maria Scurrah reprinted in "Herb Thymes", the Herb Society of South Australia. Typed, but not tested, by Greg Mayman, 05-26-98 Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST by Jim.Weller@... (Jim Weller) on 98

Related recipes