Best 8 Huancaina Sauce Recipes

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**Introducing Huancaina Sauce: A Peruvian Culinary Delight**

Originating from the vibrant city of Huancayo in the Peruvian Andes, Huancaina sauce is a celebrated culinary creation that has captured the hearts of food enthusiasts worldwide. This creamy, flavorful sauce is a testament to Peru's rich culinary heritage and the harmonious blend of indigenous and European influences. Huancaina sauce boasts a vibrant yellow hue, attributed to the generous use of ají amarillo peppers, a staple ingredient in Peruvian cuisine. These peppers impart a mildly spicy and slightly fruity flavor, creating a captivating balance of heat and sweetness. The sauce's velvety texture comes from the incorporation of fresh cheese, typically queso fresco or queso blanco, which lends a tangy and slightly salty note. Huancaina sauce is a versatile culinary companion, gracing a variety of dishes, from the classic papas a la Huancaina to grilled meats, fish, and even sandwiches. Its versatility and distinctive flavor profile have made it a beloved ingredient in Peruvian cuisine and a must-try for any food adventurer seeking authentic Peruvian flavors.

**Recipes Included:**

1. **Traditional Huancaina Sauce:** This recipe provides a step-by-step guide to creating the classic Huancaina sauce, using ají amarillo peppers, queso fresco, evaporated milk, garlic, and other aromatic ingredients.

2. **Huancaina Sauce with Rocoto Peppers:** This variation introduces the fiery rocoto peppers, adding an extra layer of heat and complexity to the sauce.

3. **Huancaina Sauce with Yellow Peppers:** For a milder version, this recipe swaps out the ají amarillo peppers for milder yellow peppers, creating a vibrant and flavorful sauce with a reduced spice level.

4. **Huancaina Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes:** This recipe incorporates roasted tomatoes, adding a smoky and tangy depth of flavor to the sauce.

5. **Huancaina Sauce with Herbs:** This variation introduces a blend of fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and oregano, infusing the sauce with aromatic freshness and enhancing its overall flavor profile.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

PERUVIAN POTATOES WITH SPICY CREAM SAUCE (PAPAS A LA HUANCAINA)



Peruvian Potatoes with Spicy Cream Sauce (Papas a la Huancaina) image

Provided by Ingrid Hoffmann

Categories     side-dish

Time 50m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

4 medium Russett potatoes
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon seeded and finely chopped jarred aji amarillo peppers or fresh habanero
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt
4 large lettuce leaves (such as Bibb or romaine)
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
10 black olives pitted and sliced (Kalamata or Botija Peruvian olives)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Steps:

  • Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 30 minutes or until a paring knife slides into the potatoes without any resistance. Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Slice the potatoes into 1/2-inch rounds and set aside.
  • Combine the cheese, evaporated milk, oil, chile, garlic, and the lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth. The sauce should be creamy and pourable. If the sauce is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is thinned out.
  • Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and top with the sliced potatoes. Pour the sauce over the potatoes. Garnish with slices of hard boiled egg and olives. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

HUANCAINA SAUCE



Huancaina Sauce image

This is traditional Peruvian spicy cheese sauce, often served over boiled and sliced potatoes. The recipe was created based on my experiences living in Peru and makes for a delicious and easy dinner starter. Serve at room temperature or cold over boiled potatoes and top with sliced boiled eggs and kalamata olives; dust with paprika (or rocoto if you have some).

Provided by aelionei

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes     Sauce Recipes

Time 20m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 8

¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup chopped onion
3 aji amarillo peppers, seeded and chopped, or more to taste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
¾ cup evaporated milk
2 cups crumbled queso fresco
4 saltine crackers
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; saute onion, aji peppers, and garlic until onion softens and mixture is bright yellow, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender; add milk and blend until smooth. Add queso fresco and crackers to mixture and blend until sauce is smooth and the consistency of thick yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 193.5 calories, Carbohydrate 8.1 g, Cholesterol 26.8 mg, Fat 13.9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 9.3 g, SaturatedFat 5.4 g, Sodium 122.6 mg, Sugar 2.9 g

PAPA A LA HUANCAINA (POTATOES WITH CHILE-CHEESE SAUCE)



Papa a La Huancaina (Potatoes With Chile-Cheese Sauce) image

Papa a la Huancaína, or potatoes Huancayo-style, is one of the most famous dishes of Peruvian cuisine. Boiled potatoes are topped with a slightly spicy, rich and creamy cheese sauce and are served cold or at room temperature as an appetizer or side dish. Enjoy!

Provided by Nif_H

Categories     Potato

Time 30m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

8 potatoes
1 cup feta cheese or 1 cup muenster cheese, grated
1 cup evaporated milk (can substitute cream or half and half)
2 -3 tablespoons jalapenos, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
4 -8 saltines or 4 -8 soda crackers, crumbled
3 -4 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper, to taste
lettuce leaf (about 12)
4 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
8 -10 black olives, pitted

Steps:

  • Cover the whole potatoes with cold, salted water, boil until cooked through. Remove from heat, drain and cool. Peel the potatoes and cut in half length-wise or into rounds.
  • Place the cheese, evaporated milk, peppers and turmeric in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. With the motor running, add the crackers one at a time to thicken the sauce. With the motor still running, drizzle in the oil. Add more crackers if the sauce is too thin, or some milk or water if it is too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Line a serving platter with the lettuce leaves. Place the potatoes on top of the lettuce leaves. Spoon the chile-cheese sauce over the potatoes. Garnish serving plate with egg quarters and tomato wedges. Sprinkle olives over potatoes and serve cold or at room temperature.
  • VARIATIONS:.
  • Papa a la Huancaina is also popular in Bolivia. However, the cheese is sometimes substituted with 1 cup of natural peanut butter.
  • Ají amarillois the fiery yellow pepper common in Peruvian cuisine. These peppers can be found canned or in jars at many Latino markets.
  • Try using a variety of potatoes for a colorful effect: blue, Yukon gold, russets, etc.
  • A little garlic can be added to the sauce. A little lime or lemon juice squeezed in the sauce can round out its taste nicely as well.
  • A local herb, palillo, is often added to the sauce, imparting a further bright yellow color. It can sometimes be found in powdered form at Latino markets. Turmeric is a fine substitute.

POTATOES IN SPICY CHEESE SAUCE - PAPA A LA HUANCAINA



Potatoes in Spicy Cheese Sauce - Papa a La Huancaina image

This famous Peruvian dish Papa a la Huancaína was posted by Marian Blazes. I have posted it here for use in the ZWT-7 world tour of South/Central America. This is a dish of sliced potatoes covered in a spicy cheese sauce that is typically served cold, as a first course or as a lunch dish. It is delicious made with yellow or white potatoes. The sauce for the dish is called Salsa a la Huancaina and is made with aji amarillo peppers. The spiciness can be adjusted by using less or more yellow chile peppers. (your preference) If you would rather not have it spicy, you may use some tumeric powder instead for flavor.

Provided by Baby Kato

Categories     Peruvian

Time 1h

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

salsa, a la Huancaina, Spicy Cheese Sauce
4 tablespoons oil, vegetable
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 -4 chili peppers (yellow aji amarillo frozen is fine or 1/2 cup jarred aji amarillo paste)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional, if you don't want it spicy add tumeric instead)
2 garlic cloves, mashed
2 cups cheese, white farmer's cheese (queso freso, may sub with feta)
4 crackers, saltine (or for slightly sweet flavor add animal crackers instead)
3/4 cup milk, evaporated
1 pinch salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste)
8 potatoes (yellow or white)
lettuce leaf (for plating)
2 hard-boiled eggs
8 large black olives, halved

Steps:

  • For the sauce - Remove seeds from yellow chile peppers and chop into 1 inch pieces.
  • Sauté the onion, garlic, and chile peppers (or paste) in the oil until onion is softened, about 3-5 minutes. If using the tumeric option, add it now.
  • Once onion is softened remove from heat and let cool.
  • Place the onion-chile mixture in a food processor or blender, add the evaporated milk and blend.
  • Next add the cheese and crackers and blend until smooth.
  • The sauce should be fairly thick. If necessary thicken you can thicken the sauce with more saltines or thin the sauce with more .
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at room temperature or chilled.
  • For the potatoe dish - Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling and add the potatoes.
  • Boil the potatoes until tender, drain and let cool.
  • Slice the potatoes and place on top of the lettuce leaves.
  • Then pour the huancaína sauce over the potatoes and garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg and black olive halves.

FRIED CASSAVA (YUCCAS) WITH PERUVIAN HUANCAINA SAUCE



Fried Cassava (Yuccas) With Peruvian Huancaina Sauce image

Make and share this Fried Cassava (Yuccas) With Peruvian Huancaina Sauce recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Chef jaggerbowie897

Categories     Peruvian

Time 50m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 -2 cassava
vegetable oil
salt
7 fresh yellow chiles, seeded and devained
300 g fresh farmer cheese (ricotta or feta)
vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt
pepper

Steps:

  • Peel and rinse cassava. Cut in 2 or 3 pieces depending the size. Cook yuccas in salted water until soft and tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool.
  • Cut cassava in ½ x 2 inches (1.5 x5 cm).
  • Heat oil in a skillet and fry cassava until golden. Season. Drain fat in paper towel.
  • cassava sticks may be freezed until ready to use. Remove from freezer and place immediately in hot oil until golden and crispy.
  • Serve with Huancaína Sauce as an appetizer.
  • Huancaína Sauce:.
  • Place chili in a blender. Pour milk and blend.
  • Sauté onion with garlic in oil until cooked.
  • Add this mixture to blender together with the cheese.
  • While blending add oil until a creamy sauce is obtained.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 98.3, Fat 1.8, SaturatedFat 1.1, Cholesterol 10.9, Sodium 30.3, Carbohydrate 5.3, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 2.1, Protein 14.5

SPICY PERUVIAN CHEESE SAUCE AND POTATOES (PAPA A LA HUANCAINA)



SPICY PERUVIAN CHEESE SAUCE AND POTATOES (PAPA A LA HUANCAINA) image

Categories     Sauce     Cheese     Pepper     Potato     Appetizer     Healthy

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup aji amarillo, OR: 1 orange bell pepper and 1/4 of a habanero
1 cup Queso Fresco, OR: 1/4 cup feta cheese and 3/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup evaporated milk, plus more as needed
6 potatoes, boiled
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
Lettuce, for garnish

Steps:

  • Begin with heating oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sautee until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and aji paste (or bell peppers if using) and continue to cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. In a blender, add onion mixture and all remaining ingredients except potato, egg and lettuce. Blend until thoroughly combined and sauce is an even deep yellow/orange. Add more evaporated milk to reach desired consistency. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve over potatoes, egg and lettuce. Sauce will stay in the fridge for serval days and will be more delicious as the flavours develope.

GRILLED YUCCA WITH HUANCAINA SAUCE



Grilled Yucca with Huancaina Sauce image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     appetizer

Time 50m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 whole yucca
Salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 aji amarillo, rib and seeds removed, diced
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper
5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
1 hard-boiled egg, plus chopped hard-boiled egg, for garnish, optional
1/2 cup heavy cream
Nicoise olives, for garnish, optional
Cilantro leaves, for garnish, optional

Steps:

  • Peel yucca and cut into 4 cylinders; then split in half and remove the root. Place yucca in a large pot. Add enough water to cover yucca and season with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork tender, about 30 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool. Brush with butter and place on grill. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and season with salt.
  • Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion, aji, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute until onion becomes translucent. Remove from heat and add to blender. Add cheese and hard-boiled egg and blend. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons oil until sauce consistency. Adjust salt before serving.
  • Serve yucca with huancaina sauce, garnished with hard-boiled egg, olives, and cilantro.

FRIED YUCCAS (CASSAVA) WITH HUANCAINA SAUCE



Fried Yuccas (Cassava) With Huancaina Sauce image

Delicious crispy Yucca spears are smothered with a creamy spicy Peruvian sauce made of goat cheese. Delicious as an appetizer. The sauce may also be used as a salad dressing or even for pasta.

Provided by Sra.Ruhlen

Categories     Lunch/Snacks

Time 13m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 -2 yucca root (cassava)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
7 fresh yellow aji limo chiles, seeded (you may add more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
10 1/2 ounces fresh farmer cheese (ricotta or feta (regular or non-fat)
vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk (non-fat may be used)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

Steps:

  • Peel and rinse yuccas.
  • Cut in 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size.
  • Cook yuccas in salted water until soft and tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool.
  • Cut yuccas in ½ x 2 inches (1.5 x5 cm).
  • Heat oil in a skillet and fry yuccas until golden. Season.
  • Drain fat in paper towel.
  • Yucca sticks can be frozen until ready to use.
  • Remove from freezer and place immediately in hot oil until golden and crispy.
  • Serve with Huancaína Sauce as an appetizer.
  • Huancaína Sauce:.
  • Place ají in a blender.
  • Pour milk and blend.
  • Sauté onion with garlic in oil until cooked.
  • Add this mixture to blender together with the cheese.
  • While blending add oil until a creamy sauce is obtained.

Tips:

  • Use fresh, high-quality ingredients: This will make a big difference in the flavor of your Huancaina sauce. Fresh aji amarillo peppers are essential, as they give the sauce its characteristic flavor.
  • Be careful not to overcook the aji amarillo peppers: Overcooking will make them bitter. Cook them just until they are softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Taste the sauce as you go and adjust the seasonings accordingly: You may need to add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.
  • Serve the Huancaina sauce immediately: It is best when fresh. However, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Conclusion:

Huancaina sauce is a delicious and versatile sauce that can be used on a variety of dishes. It is especially popular in Peruvian cuisine, where it is often served with papas a la Huancaina, a dish of boiled potatoes topped with the sauce. Huancaina sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce for vegetables, or as a spread for sandwiches. No matter how you choose to use it, Huancaina sauce is sure to add a flavorful touch to your meal.

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