Papa a la Huancaina Potatoes in Spicy Cheese Sauce
Papa a la Huancaina is a classic Peruvian starter featuring boiled potatoes bathed in a creamy, golden aji amarillo and fresh cheese sauce. It is one of the most beloved everyday dishes in Peru, simple to prepare yet incredibly flavorful and visually stunning.
Boiled potatoes covered in a golden creamy aji amarillo and fresh cheese sauce for a quintessential Peruvian starter.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Main
Sauce
Thickener
Instructions
Prepare the Peppers
Saute the aji amarillo peppers in the oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant. This step mellows the raw pepper flavor and deepens the natural sweetness of the aji amarillo.
Blend the Sauce
Transfer the cooked peppers to a blender and add the queso fresco, crackers, evaporated milk, and oil. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, creamy, and a vibrant golden color, adding more milk if the sauce is too thick.
Season and Adjust
Pour the sauce into a bowl and taste for seasoning, adding salt as needed. The sauce should be smooth, slightly tangy from the cheese, mildly spicy, and pourable enough to coat the potatoes generously.
Plate and Garnish
Arrange the boiled potato slices on a bed of lettuce leaves and pour the huancaina sauce generously over the top. Garnish with sliced hard boiled eggs, black olives, and a sprinkle of chopped parsley before serving.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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