Makes 4 
Makes 4
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, mashed
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
• 2 pounds macre squash (or butternut squash), peeled and diced
• 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup giant kernel corn (or any white corn)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup green peas
• ½ cup unsweetened evaporated milk
• 1 cup queso fresco (or feta), diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 cups cooked white rice (optional)
Locro is the ultimate vegetarian dish of the Andes. To make it we use a squash called macre, but if you´re not in Peru, feel free to experiment with any pumpkin available. If you do this, don’t forget to adjust the cooking time. You should aim for a creamy texture.
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until translucent.
2. Add the squash, potatoes, corn, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer, semi covered, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender.
3. Finally add the green peas, evaporated milk, and queso fresco. Stir quickly and turn off the heat.
4. Taste for seasoning, add the herbs, stir, and serve with white rice on the side.
Locro leftovers can be used to make an original tacu tacu, by mixing them with leftover rice, and frying them shaped into patties.
Serves 4 
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup red onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 cups spinach leaves
• 1 cup basil leaves
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup queso fresco (or feta)
• ¼ cup pecans
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 cup cooked green beans
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Pesto was first brought to Peru by Italian immigrants from Liguria, which is known to be the cradle of this popular sauce, and boasts of having the most aromatic basil in the world. Their simple yet exquisite gastronomy had a permanent influence on Peruvian cuisine, and the original pesto ligure became the popular tallarines verdes (green noodles).
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until transparent, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes). Turn off the heat and reserve.
2. Pour boiling water over the spinach and basil leaves. Drain.
3. Process the onion, and its oil, garlic, spinach, basil, evaporated milk, queso fresco, pecans, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
4. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water following the package instructions.
5. Drain the pasta and mix with the spinach-basil cream, and top it with green beans and grated Parmesan cheese.
Want to raise the health bar on this dish? Try mixing in some steamed or slightly sautéed zucchini slices, asparagus, fava beans, and peas. For a vegan rendition, substitute the milk with unsweetened soy, almond, or pecan milk, and the cheese with tofu or cashew cheese.
Serves 2 
• ½ cup vegetable oil for frying, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 Russet potato, peeled and cut in sticks
• Salt and pepper
• 4 sausages
• 4 eggs (optional)
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Ají amarillo paste
• Mayonnaise
• 2 parsley leaves, to garnish
This Peruvian fast-food dish is exactly what its name indicates: sausages (salchichas), and potatoes (papas). With such a short list of ingredients, you hardly need a recipe at all.
1. Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over high heat.
2. Dry the potatoes with paper towels and fry until golden brown. If you are using the frozen ready-made variety, heat them in a 450ºF oven for 18 minutes.
3. Once they’re done, season the fries with salt.
4. Cut the sausages in ¼-inch round slices. Heat a tablespoon oil in a skillet. Sauté the sausages until golden.
5. Combine the sausages and fries on two plates.
6. Fry the eggs, sunny side up, (if using) and place two on top of the sausage mixture. Garnish with parsley leaves.
7. Serve with ketchup, mustard, ají amarillo paste, and mayonnaise on the side.
Some variations of salchipapas include different kinds of sausages, and sweet potatoes or yucca fries instead of potato fries.
Serves 4 
• 3 tablespoons + ½ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups leftover canary beans, cooked
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups leftover white rice, cooked
• 4 small ripe mini bananas, peeled
• 4 steaks
• 1 cup flour
• 10 eggs, (separate 2 of them and beat them slightly)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Salsa criolla (p. 79)
This poor man´s steak recipe may use humble ingredients, but the amount of food it requires to be made, and its intense flavors, are anything but poor. A hearty tacu tacu (rice and beans) is covered with a breaded steak, fried eggs, and topped with salsa criolla. You will never be hungry when this dish is around.
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and cook the onion and garlic, stirring frequently. Add the ají amarillo paste and oregano.
2. Add and stir the beans, mashing them with a wooden spoon, or even better, with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the rice and continue stirring and mashing until the mixture is thick like a paste.
4. Divide in four portions. Fry each portion individually, giving it a football shape by moving the pan back and forth with a firm but light movement. If this doesn’t work out, fry them like you would a hamburger. The outer layer of the tacu tacu must be slightly crispy while the inside should remain mushy.
5. Fry the bananas in 1 tablespoon of hot oil, until golden, and reserve.
6. In the meantime, prepare the steaks. First, season them with salt and pepper.
7. Put the flour in one bowl, the beaten eggs in a second bowl, and the breadcrumbs in a third one.
8. Dip each steak in flour, then in the beaten eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs, shaking any excess.
9. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the steaks until golden brown on both sides.
10. In another skillet, fry the eggs sunny-side up.
11. Put a portion of tacu tacu on each plate. Top with a breaded steak, and top this with two fried eggs. Serve a fried banana next to it, and salsa criolla on the side.
Tacu tacu is a simple dish that can be served on its own, or topped with salsa criolla. You can also crown it with fried eggs.
Serves 2
• 1 pound sirloin steak, cut in bite-size pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, thickly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, cut in thick slices
• 1 ají amarillo, cut in thin slices (or use 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste)
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups French fries
• 1½ cups cooked white rice
This robust entrée is the result of the fusion between Peruvian and Chinese cuisines. If you feel like making it, make sure you have everything ready to throw in the pan, because it cooks rather quickly. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes.
1. Season the steak with salt, pepper, and garlic.
2. Put a wok or a skillet over high heat. When very hot, add the oil and then meat, a few slices at a time so they turn golden brown instead of steaming. Transfer the cooked pieces to a bowl before adding more raw pieces to the wok. Repeat with all the steak.
3. Add all the cooked steak pieces, onion, tomato, and ají amarillo to the same wok, stirring for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the vinegar and soy sauce down the sides of the pan, and combine everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Turn off the heat, add the chopped cilantro, and serve at once with French fries and white rice.
Instead of sirloin steak, I often use chicken, veggies (wonderful with portobello mushrooms cut in strips to substitute the meat), or shrimp. Nowadays chefs like making fashionable versions with spaghetti instead of rice and fries, or using the stir-fry as an empanada or tequeño filling.
Serves 4
• 4 sirloin medallions
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup red onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup ají amarillo paste
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 cups fish stock
• 2 tablespoons potato starch
• 8 mussels
• 4 ounces scallops, cleaned
• 4 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 ounces cooked squid, cut into rings
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup microgreens for garnish (optional)
The fiery hot seafood sauce known as a lo macho is usually served over fish, but here you have a non traditional variation using beef as the main ingredient.
1. Season the sirloin with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the steaks, and sear on both sides until golden.
2. In the meantime, heat the rest of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, paprika, and oregano, and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion looks translucent. Add the ají amarillo paste, cook stirring for 3 minutes, and add the tomatoes, cooking for 5 more minutes. Pour the wine, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the fish stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Dissolve the potato starch in 3 tablespoons cold water, add to the saucepan, a little at a time, and stir until everything is slightly thick. Finally add the seafood, stir, and sprinkle with cilantro, salt, and pepper. Turn off the heat.
4. Transfer the sirloin medallions to 4 plates, surround with the seafood sauce, garnish the steaks with microgreens, and serve.
Serve this dish with potatoes that have been boiled, thickly sliced, and fried in a skillet with a little olive oil until golden brown.
Serves 4
• 3 cups cilantro leaves
• 2 cups spinach
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut in 2 × 2–inch pieces
• 1 chopped red onion
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
• 2 potatoes, cut in four pieces
• Salt and pepper
• ¾ cup green peas
• ¾ cup diced carrots
• Cooked white rice (optional)
• Cooked canary beans (optional)
Antonella Delfino shared this scrumptious recipe with us. This cilantro stew is traditionally made with goat in the north of Peru, and it is usually served with white fluffy rice, mashed canary or lima beans, and some olive oil drizzled on top.
1. Put the cilantro and spinach in a blender and process with one cup water. Reserve.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat, and when it is very hot, sear the beef pieces until they are golden brown.
3. Add the onions, garlic, and ají amarillo paste, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.
4. Pour the cilantro mix and turn up to medium heat. Stir constantly until the water evaporates. The cilantro mixture is going to become a dark green color.
5. Pour 6 cups of water and simmer over low heat for 2 hours with the lid on. Check constantly and add more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
6. When the meat is fork tender, add the potatoes, green peas and carrots. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
7. The stew is ready when the veggies are cooked and the sauce is slightly thick. Taste for seasoning.
8. Serve with white rice and mashed canary beans.
If you have fresh cilantro in the fridge and do not know what to do with it, blend it with a little bit of water to form a paste, and put it in the freezer. This way, you will have cilantro paste ready to use in many soups and stews. Peruvians use only the leaves, but you can include the stems and even the roots to add another layer of flavor to some dishes.
Makes 4
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste (optional)
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• ¾ cup cilantro leaves, blended with ¼ cup water
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup fava beans or green peas, cooked
• 1 pound potato gnocchi
• Parmesan cheese
The easiest way to turn any dish vegetarian is by replacing the meat with a vegetarian protein such as tofu, soy meat, or portobello mushrooms. In this recipe, however, we did something completely new: we turned the potatoes that usually accompany this traditional entrée into gnocchi, and left the meat completely out of the formula.
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until very tender (about 5–7 minutes).
2. Add the ají amarillo paste, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cilantro paste, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the vegetable stock, put the lid on, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cooked fava beans or green peas and keep warm. Put the lid on and turn the heat off.
5. In the meantime, cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water. They are ready when they float.
6. Drain and combine with the sauce.
7. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
If you wish, you can add more vegetables and diced potatoes on top of everything else; or use pasta or couscous instead of gnocchi.
Serves 6
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds eye round, fat removed
• 1 large red onion, cut in six pieces
• 3 tomatoes, cut in four pieces each
• 4 garlic cloves
• 5 dried mushrooms
• ¾ bottle red wine
• 4 cups water
• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tablespoons potato starch (chuño)
• Salt and pepper
• Cooked rice (optional)
• Mashed potatoes (optional)
This is a homey dish, usually served with rice and mashed potatoes on the side, and it’s one more of Antonella Delfino’s delicious family recipes. The type of meat used (eye round), needs to cook for a long time in a flavorful broth. You may want to marinate the beef overnight to infuse it with more taste, but that is only if you have the time to do it.
1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over high heat, add the meat, and sear it until it forms a golden crust all over.
2. Add the onions, tomatoes, and garlic, and stir until they start to release their juices.
3. Meanwhile, cover the dried mushrooms for 30 minutes with one cup boiling water. Strain the liquid through a colander covered with paper towels (they are full of dirt, so you want to get rid of it). Squeeze the mushrooms, and cut in ½-inch slices. Reserve the liquid.
4. Add half the bottle of wine to the pan, along with the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried mushrooms with soaking water, and the remaining water. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Turn the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook undisturbed for an hour.
6. Take the beef out of the saucepan, drain well, put on a chopping board, and thinly slice it into ¼-inch pieces. An electric knife is very helpful for this, but a sharp knife is fine.
7. Strain the vegetables and put the cooking liquid back in the saucepan. Add the remaining wine and more water if necessary.
8. Put the slices of meat back in the saucepan, and season with salt, pepper, and more soy sauce, to taste.
9. Continue cooking over low heat until the meat is fork tender (about 1 more hour).
10. When the meat is ready, dissolve the potato starch in 3 tablespoons water and gradually add it to the saucepan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the sauce becomes thick enough to lightly cover the spoon.
11. Serve with rice and/or mashed potatoes on the side.
Like many other stews, asado is much better the day after it has been cooked. If you have the time, cook it in advance so the flavors meld. It is also a good dish to have ready when you have guests, because you only need to reheat it.
Serves 8
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil, divided
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup beef stock
• ½ cup raisins
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• 4 cups fresh white corn kernels
• ½ cup half and half
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 5 eggs, whites and yolks separated
• 1 egg yolk combined with 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon aniseed
Corn is one of those ingredients you could use over and over in countless preparations, either savory or sweet, and never get tired of it. In Peru for instance, we have innumerable ways of using this ingredient, but one of the most popular, without a doubt, is our beloved corn pudding, or pastel de choclo, filled with beef, raisins, black olives, and hard-boiled eggs.
1. Heat ¼ cup oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 10 minutes stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl. In the same skillet heat the remaining oil, add onion and garlic, and cook stirring a few times until transparent. Add tomato paste, and beef stock or water, cook for 5 minutes, and return the meat to the pan. It should be saucy.
2. Incorporate raisins, hard-boiled eggs, and olives. Stir and turn off the heat. Reserve.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a blender process the corn kernels with milk and melted butter. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and egg yolks. Transfer to a bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks very soft. Beat the egg whites until firm, and fold into the corn mixture.
4. Have a rectangular baking pan ready. Pour half the corn mixture in the pan, cover with the cooked beef and top with the remaining corn. Brush the surface of the corn with the egg yolk and water mixture, sprinkle with aniseed, and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and firm.
5. Serve with ají amarillo sauce, Huancaina sauce, or salsa criolla.
Make it vegetarian using slices of queso fresco or feta, and sliced black olives as the filling.
Serves 4
• 1 chicken breast
• 3 cups water
• Salt and pepper
• 3 slices white bread
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ cup evaporated milk or half and half
• Salt and pepper
• 2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and sliced
• 4 Alfonso olives
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 4 parsley sprigs for decoration (optional)
This dish is neither a stew nor a fricassee, but a flavorful sauce to which cooked chicken is added. There are three basic steps in the preparation: cooking the poultry, making the sauce, and combining both to meld the flavors. To complete the dish, serve boiled yellow potatoes and white fluffy rice on the same plate.
1. Cook the chicken breast with water, salt, and pepper, in a heavy saucepan over medium heat (about 20 minutes). You can add a parsley sprig or a bay leaf if you want more flavor in your stock.
2. When the chicken is tender, take it out of the water and shred the meat with two forks or with your fingers. Strain the stock and reserve.
3. Put the bread in a bowl and add one cup of the reserved stock. When the bread has absorbed all the stock, process in a blender to form a loose paste. Reserve.
4. Heat the oil in the same saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for about 7 minutes. Stir frequently and don’t let them brown. When the onion is very soft and almost transparent, stir in the ají amarillo paste and dried oregano, and keep cooking for 5 more minutes.
5. Add the bread and one more cup of chicken stock to the pan, stirring for 3 more minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken.
6. Add the shredded chicken, pecans, and cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper because the cheese is already salty.
7. Finally, incorporate the evaporated milk or half and half, stir, and turn off the heat. If it looks too thick, thin it with more chicken stock. The sauce should be creamy, covering every chicken strand.
8. Put 2 slices of potato on each plate. Cover with the chicken mixture and serve with white rice on the side.
9. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters, Alfonso olives, and a parsley sprig.
Some cooks make this recipe using fish or shrimp instead of chicken. There are even versions with canned tuna! You can use ají de gallina to fill empanadas, ravioli, lasagna, tartlets, and more.
Serves 4
• 4 chicken legs and thighs
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup sweet wine (optional)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 medium-sized yellow potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and cut in thin slices
• ½ cup green peas
• ½ cup raisins
• White fluffy rice or pasta
• Parsley sprigs
This recipe is versatile in that it can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner, served with rice or pasta, it can be quickly turned into a vegetarian entrée, or become an enticing sandwich in the blink of an eye. Change the vegetables to get a different dish every time (mushrooms and green beans are good choices). Replace the potatoes in the stew with a side of mashed potatoes, or if you are in a luxurious mood, a hearty potato gratin makes another wonderful side.
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sear the chicken pieces until golden, turning once. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
3. Add the remaining oil to the saucepan and when hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook at medium-high heat, stirring every few minutes, until soft, (about 7 minutes). Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 3 minutes.
4. Put the chicken back in the saucepan, add the wine, bring to a boil, and add the chicken stock and the bay leaf. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes, carrots, green peas, and raisins. Continue cooking for 15–20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
6. Serve with rice, or as a pasta sauce, and garnish with parsley sprigs.
If you are using also the breasts, keep in mind that these cook faster than the thighs. Take them out of the stew 20 minutes before it is ready so they don’t overcook.
POLLO AL SILLAO—CHICKEN WITH SOY SAUCE
Serves 6–8
• 8 chicken thighs with the skin on
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced or grated
• 1 lime (juice and zest)
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup honey
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1½ tablespoons potato starch (chuño)
When I find a recipe I love, I try as many variations of it as I can think of. Such is the case with this dish. Sometimes I use orange juice for the marinade; sometimes I only use butter and mustard. I have served it with potato gratin, sautéed vegetables, or stir-fried rice. You can try your own combinations, and pick the one you like the most.
1. Place the chicken in a baking pan. I left the skin on because it protects the flesh in the oven, but feel free to use skinned chicken if you prefer.
2. Season with garlic, lime juice and zest, and ginger.
3. Combine the soy sauce, honey, orange juice, mustard, and butter, in a small bowl. Pour this over the chicken. Cover and marinate overnight or at least for two hours, in the fridge.
4. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
5. Uncover the chicken and bake for 1 hour, basting every 20 minutes with its own juices. The chicken should have a beautiful brown color when it’s ready.
6. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Dissolve the potato starch in 3 tablespoons of water, and add it to the saucepan, stirring constantly until slightly thick.
7. Serve the chicken with this sauce.
You may use chicken breasts, wings, or legs, adjusting the cooking time, to make this recipe.
Serve with white rice, stir-fried veggies, or sliced and roasted sweet potatoes.
VEGETARIAN PICHUBERRY AND QUINOA CHILI
Serves 8
• ½ cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large zucchini, cut in ½-inch cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups pichuberries, (golden berries) halved
• 1 15-ounce can black beans with liquid
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 15-ounce can canary beans with liquid (or substitute pinto beans)
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings:
• Chopped scallions, avocado slices, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cabbage or lettuce, tortilla strips, lime wedges, chopped pichuberries
Even though this hearty soup is not Peruvian, we could say this version is a fusion, as it is filled with some of our favorite Peruvian superfoods. It is a creation of our friend and health maven, Manuel Villacorta.
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the quinoa and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook covered until all the water is absorbed, (about 15–20 minutes). Fluff with a fork and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the jalapeno, carrot, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften (about 10 minutes).
3. Stir in the pichuberries (or golden berries) and cook for another 3–5 minutes, until they start releasing some of their juices.
4. Add the cooked quinoa, beans along with their juices, canned tomatoes with juice, cumin, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
5. Cover the saucepan and let the chili simmer over low heat for 25–30 minutes, or until fragrant.
6. Serve warm, with your choice of toppings.
Chili is a hearty Tex-Mex bean soup that allows for hundreds of variations. This recipe adds quinoa and pichuberries for a healthy bonus and a Peruvian twist.
