Peruvian ajiaco
Ajiaco de papas
Potato and cheese pot, huacatay if you have it — Andean comfort, not the Bogotá chicken soup.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Ajiaco de papas.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Peruvian ajiaco is a potato stew thickened with the potatoes themselves, often with cheese, milk or huacatay (black mint), sometimes chicken. It is not Colombian ajiaco. Same word, different Andes. This is a home potato-and-cheese pot. It should be spoon-thick and yellow if you have a little aji amarillo. Boil yellow potatoes until they start to fall apart, then mash some against the pot so the liquid thickens. Cheese, milk or a splash of cream, and huacatay (black mint) if you can find it; a little ají amarillo paste makes it yellow and warm. Chicken is optional. It should be spoon-thick, a stew more than a soup. It is not Colombian ajiaco. Same word, different Andes. Taste for salt after the cheese goes in.
Ingredients
- Potato800 g
- Onion1 medium
- Garlic3 clove
- Ají amarillo (optional)15 ml
- Melting cheese, queso fresco or feta, crumbled80 g
- Milk150 ml
- Mint, or huacatay1 handful
- Neutral oil30 ml
- Salt4.9 ml
- Water500 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Soften onion and garlic in oil. Add aji amarillo if using. Add cubed potato, water and salt. Simmer 20 minutes.
25 minStep 2
Mash some of the potatoes in the pot so it thickens. Stir in milk.
5 minStep 3
Cheese and mint off the heat. It should be a stew you eat with a spoon, not a soup you drink.
3 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Aji amarillo → A pinch of turmeric and a mild chilli
Colour without the fruit. Different pot.
Tips
- Huacatay paste from a Latin grocer is the Andean mint. Regular mint is a pale cousin — say so.
- A piece of leftover chicken is allowed. It then leans toward the other ajiaco.
History & culture
Highland and home cooking. The Colombian soup stole the international name. Peru kept the potato pot. Highland and home cooking in Peru. The Colombian chicken-and-corn soup stole the international name; Peru kept the potato-and-cheese pot. Serve with rice or on its own. Huacatay is the herb people miss abroad. A jarred paste is a named stand-in.
Potato stews are Andean bedrock. Cheese and milk are later dairy on an older mash. Potato stews are Andean bedrock. Cheese and milk are later dairy on an older mash. Ají amarillo is the local chilli. You are thickening a potato pot with the potatoes themselves and finishing it with dairy and herb. That is Peruvian ajiaco, not a Bogotá Sunday soup.
Regional variation
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Peruvian ajiaco take?
45 min all in — 15 min prep, 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Aji amarillo → A pinch of turmeric and a mild chilli. Colour without the fruit. Different pot.
Any tips from this recipe?
Huacatay paste from a Latin grocer is the Andean mint. Regular mint is a pale cousin — say so. A piece of leftover chicken is allowed. It then leans toward the other ajiaco.
Can I prepare this ahead?
A piece of leftover chicken is allowed. It then leans toward the other ajiaco.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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