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Ají de papalisa
Ají de papalisa: ulluco tubers stewed in yellow chilli, a La Paz home dish
Papalisa, the glossy pink-and-yellow tuber called ulluco in Peru, has a crisp, slightly slippery bite that holds up beautifully in this ají from the La Paz highlands. The tubers are cut into fine sticks and stewed with onion, tomato and yellow chilli until tender, then served with white rice and a boiled potato. Highland cooks often add shredded dried beef; this vegan version keeps all the flavour with extra onion and cumin. Look for papalisa fresh or in jars in Latin American shops; waxy new potatoes cut the same way are a fair stand-in. The mistake most people make is skipping the soaking and rinsing, which leaves the sauce gummy. Chef's tip: cut the papalisa into matchsticks as thin as you can, so they soak up the chilli sauce like noodles.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb papalisa (ulluco)fresh, or drained jarred
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 red onionsfinely chopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- 3 ½ oz peasfresh or frozen
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
To serve
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked white rice (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash 1 ¾ lb papalisa (ulluco) well, then cut into thin matchsticks about 3 mm wide. Soak them in cold water for 15 minutes, then rinse twice until the water runs clear; this removes the slimy coating.
20 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 2 red onions and cook until soft and translucent, stirring now and then.
8 minStep 3: Stir in 3 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp yellow chilli paste (ají amarillo), 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano and fry for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly and smells toasty.
2 minStep 4: Add 2 ripe tomatoes and cook until it thickens and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
5 minStep 5: Drain the papalisa and add it with 1 cup water, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Cover and simmer over a low heat, stirring once or twice, until the sticks are tender but still have a little bite.
15 minStep 6: Add 3 ½ oz peas for the last 5 minutes. The sauce should coat the papalisa without being soupy; uncover to reduce if needed.
5 minStep 7: Taste for salt, scatter over 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve with 1 ⅓ lb cooked white rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ají de papalisa take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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