A personal apreciation

I remember the first time I tried Causa Limeña, I was living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and my housemate had invited a guest over to our house for lunch. I didn’t know much about her, only that she was Peruvian and that she has brought all the ingredients to make us taste the best of her country’s gastronomy. As a Colombian woman I had never tried Peruvian food and I was excited for it. 

While Fabiola was cooking some potatoes, she took out a yellow chilli paste from her backpack, which she told me she took great care not to use up, as her parents had sent it to her directly from Peru. 

I had never tasted a real Causa before, so I tried to pay full attention to every detail of the preparation. “It is key that the potato is very well seasoned and soft, with a perfect yellow colour due to the Ají amarillo, and the right touch of lemon” she said while preparing a silky purée that would later be the lid for an exquisite chicken stuffing. 

After the first try, I have to say “Causa” became one of my favourite dishes in the world. The tenderness and freshness of each ingredient is simply spectacular. So, I thought it would be a great idea to share where this dish comes from and the infinite ways to prepare it.

The History Behind

“Causa” dates to the colonial period and comes from the Quechua term “KAUSAY” which means “Life” or “giver of life”, as the potato was also called.

There are different versions of the history of the dish but the most famous one is during the Pacific War between Peru and Chile. The war had affected the economy of the country and selling food was a good way to gather money and keep supporting the war and the soldiers, meaning it was a great addition to a good CAUSE. It was the wife of one of them that decided to use potatoes as the main ingredient and created this incredible dish called CAUSA (Cause). 

Today it is one of the most famous Peruvian dishes in the world and has many versions depending on the dietary restriction of the person. It is traditionally made with chicken or tuna but it can also have a vegetarian or vegan version. 

Causa Limeña Recipe

INGREDIENTS

–  Potatoes

– 1/2 cup oil

– 1/4 cup lemon juice

– 2 or 3 tablespoons of ají Amarillo paste

– Salt and pepper

– Hard-boiled eggs sliced (optional for vegan versions)

– Pitted black olives

– Chicken / Tuna / Chickpeas / Mushrooms (Depending on the version you’ll like to make). 

PREPARATION

Cook the potatoes until soft and mash until smooth. Add the lemon juice and the aji amarillo paste, the oil, season with salt and pepper to taste and mix until a homogeneous mass is formed. Set aside in the fridge.

For the filling, cook and peel the eggs and then cut them into slices. Peel and cut the avocados and add a little oil. Red onion cut into small squares and season with salt and pepper to taste.

*If your preparation is vegan, you can remove the egg from this recipe.

Another idea to add to the cause is a mix of vegetables such as carrots, peas, broccoli, and celery steamed and seasoned with salt and pepper, you can add vegan mayonnaise to the recipe.

When you have all the ingredients ready, prepare a container and add a layer of the mashed potato, then add the filling of your choice and cover with the remaining mashed potato.

Garnish with pitted and chopped black olives of your choice and red onion in feathers.

Keep in the fridge until ready to eat and enjoy!