ensalada de papas a la huancaina (peruvian-style salad with potato cake, egg, and yellow chile)

ensalada de papas a la huancaina (peruvian-style salad with potato cake, egg, and yellow chile)
ensalada de papas a la huancaina

peruvian-style salad with walnut, olive, feta, lime
yellow potato cake with aji amarillo, cilantro
poached egg, huancaina sauce

Starting with some yellow-yellow potatoes I set out to put a new twist on the Peruvian Papas a la Huancaina, a classic potato dish with a spicy cream sauce from the city of Huancayo. The sauce is traditionally made with evaporated milk and vegetable oil, here I lighten the recipe by using non-fat Greek yogurt instead. Rather than slice, I form the potatoes into a cake flavored with the hot fruity aji amarillo paste – and I replace the usual hard-boiled egg garnish with one that is poached taking this from a side dish or first course into a main vegetarian meal.

ensalada de papas a la huancaina recipe

ensalada de papas a la huancaina (peruvian-style salad with potato cake, egg, and yellow chile)

the inspiration

Aji amarillo paste is made from the yellow hot chile native to South America. The flavor is unusual, while it is quite spicy, it is simultaneously fruity and flavorful. The bright yellow-orange color imparts a beautiful hue to sauces and spreads. Try aji amarillo paste mixed with mayonnaise for a change from the ubiquitous chipotle mayo.

papas a la huancaina

the salad

peruvian salad

Salad ingredients:

  • wild arugula
  • chopped walnuts
  • chopped kalamata olives
  • crumbled feta
  • olive oil
  • key lime juice
  • salt and pepper

the yellow potato cake

yellow-yellow fleshed klondike gourmet potatoes
Cook skin-on yellow-yellow fleshed Klondike Gourmet potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain, then let steam escape. Mash with a potato masher.

potato cake recipe
Add olive oil, chopped cilantro (or parsley), aji amarillo paste, salt and pepper. Mix together.

aji amarillo potato cake

Form the potato cakes by oiling a ramekin then filling with the potato mixture, compacting to make a cake. Invert onto the salad.

lite huancaina sauce

huancaina sauce
Huancaina sauce ingredients:

  • 1/2 c. non-fat greek yogurt
  • 1 T. aji amarillo paste
  • 1 heaping T. crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread, no crust
  • 1 T. key lime juice
  • salt

Blend ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor until creamy. Add salt to taste.

the poached egg

ensalada de papas a la huancaina (peruvian-style salad with potato cake, egg, and yellow chile)

Poach eggs in gently boiling water for 3 minutes. Place the poached egg atop the potato cake. Spoon sauce over the egg. Garnish with a slice of olive.

ensalada de papas a la huancaina (peruvian-style salad with potato cake, egg, and yellow chile)

the end of the summer fest season

This Potato dish concludes the Summer Fest line-up. We began the season with Berries, followed by Peas, Corn, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Cucumbers, Peaches, Eggplant, Avocados, Peppers, Figs, Beets, and Grapes. It certainly has been a delicious season!

Summer Fest is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite summertime fruits and vegetables. Be sure to check out the Pinterest Board with over 100,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair! And if this peruvian-style salad got you in the mood for potatoes, you might enjoy taking a peek at other potato-centric recipes from some fabulous bloggers below…

food network summer fest
Blue Apron BlogRed, Orange, Purple and White: Your Guide to the Potato Rainbow
The Heritage CookFully Loaded Green Chile Potato Skins
Devour5 Ways to Prepare Sweet Potatoes
Feed Me PhoebeBasque Tuna Stew with Peppers and Potatoes
WeeliciousBroccoli Cheese Patties
Domesticate MePotato Rosti with Pancetta and Mozzarella
The Sensitive EpicureSalt Encrusted New Potatoes with Mustard-Mayo Dip
Napa Farmhouse 1885Sweet Potato and Russet Pancakes with Chipotle Mayo
Red or GreenRoasted Sweet Potato Fries
And Love It TooSweet Potato Souffle
Taste With The EyesEnsalada de Papas a la Huancaina (Peruvian-Style Salad with Potato Cake, Egg and Yellow Chile)
What’s Gaby Cooking: Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Dishin & DishesSouthern Green Beans and New Potatoes
FN DishEase Out of Summer with Potatoes

11 thoughts on “ensalada de papas a la huancaina (peruvian-style salad with potato cake, egg, and yellow chile)”

  1. I love this dish and often order it when I’m in a Peruvian restaurant. Of course, I admire the ‘lightening up’ and the fresh element of serving it on a salad. Well done, my friend.

  2. Potato Cake! You got me right there. This dish is new to me from start to finish. It is beautiful – as alwasys, but I am utterly intrigued by the Peruvian flavors. I know nothing of Peruvian cuisine, save that potatoes, many varieties that we do not see here in Couthern California, play a large part in it. The entire dish is really appealing, and I love the egg on top. You have piqued my curiosity with this beauty!

  3. Lori, if you’re interested on cooking peruvian food more often you should check http://www.yanuq.com, they have the best peruvian food recipes……all of the recipes that i have tried from that website are truly amazing.

    Greetings from Lima!

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