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Kapchi
Broad beans in cheese sauce
Kapchi: a Cusco stew of fresh broad beans in a creamy fresh-cheese, milk and huacatay sauce
Kapchi (sometimes spelled capchi) comes from the Quechua for something like 'dressed' or 'creamed', and around Cusco it turns up when the fresh broad beans are in season: green habas, potatoes and soft fresh cheese simmered with milk until the sauce turns thick and pale, with ají and a handful of huacatay. Market stalls in San Pedro sell it with rice, and families make it at Easter as a meatless dish. It is gentle and creamy with a herby, slightly minty finish, and the beans stay sweet and tender. The trap is boiling the sauce once the cheese is in; it splits into curds and goes watery, so keep it at a bare simmer. Serve with white rice or boiled potatoes and a spoon of uchucuta. The same recipe works with sliced mushrooms instead of beans, which Cusco cooks also do. Queso fresco is usually set with animal rennet, so pick a vegetarian fresh cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: peel the beans of their pale inner skins after blanching; it takes ten minutes and makes the dish far silkier.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb broad beansshelled weight, fresh or frozen
- 14 oz waxy potatoespeeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onionfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp ají amarillo pasteor 1 seeded, chopped yellow or red chilli
- 1 cup whole milk
- 9 oz queso frescotraditional queso fresco is often made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian (microbial-rennet) fresh cheese or a mild feta-style cheese; crumbled
- ⅓ oz huacatay leavesblack mint, chopped; or mint with a pinch of tarragon
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blanch 1 ⅛ lb broad beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain and cool under cold water. Slip off the pale inner skins by pinching each bean.
5 minStep 2: Boil 14 oz waxy potatoes in salted water until just tender, 10–12 minutes, then drain.
12 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and cook 1 red onion until soft and golden at the edges, about 6 minutes. Add 2 cloves garlic and 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste and stir for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly and smells fruity.
8 minStep 4: Pour in 1 cup whole milk, add the beans and potatoes, and bring just to a simmer over a medium-low heat.
Step 5: Stir in 9 oz queso fresco and ⅓ oz huacatay leaves and keep at a bare simmer, stirring gently, until the cheese softens and thickens the milk into a creamy sauce, 3–4 minutes. Don't let it boil.
4 minStep 6: Season with ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kapchi take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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