Papa a la Huancaína
If you've got waxy yellow potatoes, aji amarillo paste and queso fresco, you're most of the way to this Peruvian starter: about 65 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
How to make it
- Scrub the potatoes and simmer them whole in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes until a knife slides through easily, then drain and let them cool enough to peel and slice into thick rounds.
- Place the eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, and cook for 9 minutes for fully set yolks, then chill in cold water, peel, and slice into wedges.
- Warm the oil in a small pan and gently soften the minced garlic with the aji amarillo paste for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant but not browned, then let it cool slightly.
- Blend the queso fresco, evaporated milk, crumbled crackers, the cooked aji-garlic mixture, and a squeeze of lime until you have a smooth, pourable sauce, loosening with a little more milk if needed and seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Line each plate with a lettuce leaf, fan the potato slices on top, and ladle the warm-to-room-temperature sauce generously over them.
- Garnish each portion with egg wedges and olives, and serve promptly so the sauce stays glossy.
You'll use: Pan · Large pot · Saucepan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Lime
- lemon
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
What to serve with Papa a la Huancaína
- Aji de Gallina Chicken
- Anticuchos Beef
- Arroz Chaufa Chicken
- Carapulcra Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Papa a la Huancaína take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Papa a la Huancaína vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Papa a la Huancaína is an original Peruvian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Cuisine Perú Papa a la Huancaína.jpg by AgainErick, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.