Vegan Huancaína Sauce with Roasted Potatoes (Peru)

• Baby potatoes: I'm using yellow baby potatoes here. Red varieties will also work well, as will fingerlings, and others with a creamy, waxy texture. Potatoes are such a special part of Peruvian cuisine, and you can even grow your own. Please leave the skins on for a wonderful crispy texture. I love the way these potatoes "sing" as I take them out of the oven!
• Oil: I use a minimal amount of oil to coat the potatoes to enhance the roasted texture and allow the spices to adhere. You can use any good neutral oil here. I'm using sunflower oil, which is a traditional one in this dish.
• Salt: I use fine salt here to really distribute well over the potatoes, and I add it before roasting along with the pepper.
• Pepper: Please use freshly-ground black pepper here; this will really make the flavor shine.
• Cumin: I use ground cumin, and I wait to toss this and the oregano into the potatoes until after they've roasted. In testing this recipe, I found that if these seasonings are added before roasting, the flavor is no longer detectable when they're done. Tossing them into the potatoes after they come out of the oven allows the cumin and oregano to bloom and really keep their flavors fresh.
• Oregano: Please use fresh oregano here; it makes all the difference! And make sure to toss it (along with the cumin) into the potatoes right after they come out of the oven. This really preserves the fresh flavor of the seasonings and uses the heat of the potatoes to allow the flavors to meld perfectly.

See recipe card for quantities.

• Raw cashews: These nuts form the smooth, buttery body of the sauce, in creating a plant-based queso fresco. A high-speed blender is helpful here, as it will allow you to use the nuts without soaking. If you don't have a strong blender, just soak the cashews and almonds in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain before blending.
• Blanched raw almonds: The almonds work in tandem with the cashews in forming a base, giving the sauce body and thickness. The light flavor of both nuts, along with their slight sweetness, really helps the flavors of the other ingredients to shine.
• Coconut cream: This contributes a silky creaminess to the sauce. You can find it collected at the top of a can of coconut milk, or buy it in a can by itself. I generally do the latter, so I can be sure of the quantity. This will still have both liquids and solids in the can. I like to add all of the contents to a glass and heat them slightly in the microwave so it's all thoroughly mixed before using in a recipe.
• White vinegar: This helps to give the sauce its characteristic delicious tang.
• Salt: I use fine salt, and since you're using the blender, any texture will work.
• Garlic: Please use fresh garlic cloves in this recipe. You don't need to chop or mince them in advance, since you'll add them directly to the blender.
• Lime juice: Please make sure to use freshly-squeezed lime juice here! This zesty burst of citrus really makes the sauce extra flavorful.
• Ají amarillo paste: This is the star of the sauce! Ají amarillo peppers are so special in Peruvian cuisine. You can grow and puree them yourself, or buy them frozen at a Peruvian grocery store, or use a jarred version. For sources and taste-test results of the homegrown and jarred varieties, check out the taste test section below. Add a quantity according to your spice enjoyment and tolerance. I encourage you to branch out here and enjoy the warmth of this sauce!
• Water: This ensures that the sauce is not too thick, and helps to spread out the flavor.
• Oil: You can use any neutral oil here. I use sunflower oil, which is traditional. It helps to keep the sauce smooth and to add a creamy mouthfeel to the texture.
• Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is the type most traditionally used in Peru for this dish. It has a sturdy structure and enjoyable crunch that nicely complements the crispy potatoes and creamy sauce.
• Olives: I'm using Peruvian botija olives in this dish. They're large, beautiful, and they have a gorgeous briny taste that adds great depth to the flavors in this dish.
• Avocado slices: I'm using these rich, buttery slices in place of the hard-boiled eggs that are traditionally used in papa a la Huancaína.
• Cilantro (coriander): This herb, along with the parsley, adds a fresh vegetal note to this dish.
• Parsley: I'm using flat-leaf parsley, but you can use any variety. If you're not a fan of cilantro (coriander), you can omit it and add more parsley according to taste.

See recipe card for quantities.

📝Ají amarillo paste taste testing: 13 testers with 1 homegrown paste, 2 jarred brands

13 taste testers compared the flavor of these 3 ají amarillo pastes in Huancaína sauce with roasted baby potatoes, and here are the results:

Shell's homemade paste from homegrown ají amarillo peppers:

Rating:

8.1

Comments:

Spicy, held heat the longest, thick, my favorite, perfect, nice balance of taste and spice, mustardy with sweet & spice, more subtle, buttery, smooth, smoky

Inca's Food ají amarillo paste:

Rating:

7.8

Comments:

Spicy aftertaste, long lasting, smoky, thin consistency, not as flavorful, more acidic, mouth on fire, best flavor, floral, peppery, mild

Goya ají amarillo paste:

Rating:

6.9

Comments:

Super hot bite, tastes awesome, my favorite, thin, peppery, mild, sweet before the spice comes, mildest, subtle, "my burp was hot!!!"

Summary:

You can see that our 13 tasters enjoyed all 3 ají amarillo pastes. Each type varied in taste perception from mild to spicy. And the homemade version was awarded the highest rating for overall taste.

Note on homegrown ají amarillo paste:

I made the paste for this taste testing the traditional way. I sliced each homegrown ají amarillo pepper in half, removed the seeds and membranes, boiled them, and then peeled them. This was ridiculously tedious, but I'd felt that since I'd grown the peppers myself, they deserved the most traditional preparation!

Boiling is supposed to temper the heat, soften the flesh, and remove harshness. But I've also tested this sauce with raw habaneros, which are easily available in stores year-round. And they still made a fantastic sauce.

So when I grow my own ají amarillos again, I'm going to do this the easier way that I now know will yield a sauce that's just as delicious without all the work. I'll just slice off the tops, maybe remove the seeds if I have guests with a low spice tolerance, and just throw them in the blender raw along with the other sauce ingredients!

🔀Substitutions

Ají amarillo paste: There's a lot of flexibility in adding the peppers to give the sauce a "warm hug" of spice. You can grow your own and add them fresh, add a fresh orange habanero (starting with a small one and adjusting for spice), jarred ají amarillo paste (please see the taste testing results for sources and ratings), or frozen ají amarillo peppers from a Peruvian grocery store.

You can learn more about this pepper and 30 additional important global heirloom varieties in my post 31 Peppers to Grow, Harvest, Dry, Smoke, Grind, and Enjoy.

Coconut cream: If you aren't able to find cans of this cream, you can use the coconut cream that collects at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk.

Cashews and almonds: I've made this sauce to rave reviews with a base of vegan mayonnaise instead of the almonds and cashews. It wasn't as thick, and this isn't a traditional flavor base, but my friends loved the flavor. This is a great option if you're serving this to a group with nut allergies. If you do this, you can add the traditional thickener of some saltine crackers to the sauce to give it more body. If you do this, please let me know how it goes in the comments!

Freshly-squeezed lime juice: If you don't have limes, you can use lemons instead. It may alter the flavor, but only slightly.

Oil: If you'd rather not use oil, you can omit it. The sauce may be slightly less creamy, but the flavor will still be great.

🍶Variations

Grilled, boiled, or baked potatoes: This sauce is flexible over potatoes of any preparation. It would be really fun to grill skewered baby potatoes, with the sauce drizzed on top or served on the side. Use your favorite potato cooking method!

Appetizer dip: This sauce is fabulous as a dip for baby potatoes. This was a huge hit at a party with friends. They really enjoyed dipping individual little potatoes into the sauce. It's a really fun, flavorful, and special dish to serve at a gathering.

Pasta: You can serve this sauce over pasta instead of potatoes. In Peru, this is known as tallarines a la Huancaína.

Quinoa: This is a classic Andean seed, eaten as a grain. You can serve this on the side with the sauce, or use the sauce as a dressing over a bowl of quinoa and vegetables. This would be so flavorful and satisfying!

🥣Equipment

• Knife and cutting board: For chopping your herbs
• Digital scale: I highly recommend this for more accurate measuring and fewer dishes to clean!
• Measuring cups and spoons: For liquid and small quantity measurements
• Baking sheet (with optional parchment paper for easier cleanup): For roasting the potatoes
• Citrus squeezer or juicer To collect the lime juice
• Blender: Use a high-speed blender if you have one, but any blender will work well.
• Mixing spoon and spatula: For tossing the potatoes and transferring the sauce from the blender to a serving bowl
• Bowl, platter and/or plates: You can add the potato-topped lettuce leaves to a larger platter or individual plates with the sauce in a bowl on the side

⏲Make ahead and storage

Make ahead

You can make the sauce ahead and keep it in the fridge until serving. The potatoes are best fresh out of the oven. But you can warm them up again in the oven or microwave to serve as leftovers.

Refrigerate

The sauce is great fresh, and also keeps well in the fridge. It'll keep well in an airtight container for about 3 to 5 days. The sauce will thicken when chilled. You can add a little water if needed to thin it and stir it in.

Freeze

The sauce will keep well in the freezer in an airtight container for about 1 to 2 months. You can thaw it overnight in the fridge or heat it in the microwave. Add a little water to taste as the sauce will thicken from chilling.

🍲Serving suggestions

I like to serve this papa al horno a la Huancaína with other traditional Peruvian sides, like chifles (plantain chips), maíz chulpe (toasted corn), salsa criolla (red onion and chili salsa), pan francés (Peruvian French bread rolls), and a refreshing chirulín spritz (the spritz part being my own sparkling twist) cocktail. I really enjoy these authentic sides! You can see them in the photos throughout this post.