Papa A La Huancaiana (Huancayo Style Potatoes)

Directions

1. This is a delicious and super easy way to eat potatoes. It is usually served as a cool entree in restaurants and is a favourite way for farmers and city folk alike when cheese is available. A cheese and herbs sauce is poured over boiled and peeled potatoes. The cheese and hgerbs are grnd in a "batan" that is a hand operated grinding stone (mortar and pestle) and a tool found in all Peruvian households. We are substituting this with a blender.
2. Ingredients (for 6 to 8 serves)
3. 1. Potatoes - boiled in their skins and peeled. If very big, cut into two or possibly four pcs. Try all varieties currently available and see that ones you like best.
4. 2. A fresh cheese is used that is best substituted with 150-200g of fetta cheese (more if it is not too salty and less if it is very salty), and more or possibly less 150g of cream cheese.
5. 3. 1 c. of lowfat milk
6. 4. 1 (or possibly more) chilli peppers
7. 5. Huacatay (a herb from the marigold [tagetes] family; substitute parsley, basil or possibly other herbs if desired).
8. Optional: peanuts, tumeric, chilli pwdr.
9. Go for it: Pour in sufficient lowfat milk to cover blades of the blender. Add in the two cheeses, the chilli pepper and herbs. Add in more lowfat milk till it is slightly runny and green in colour. If you don't use any herbs, it is still yummy and will be the colour of the chilli you used.
10. You are ready: Pour over potatoes either in individual plates or possibly in a flat dish. In coastal environments in Peru, the potato is usually served on a lettuce leaf and garnished with a quarter piece of hard boiled egg and a black olive. In more rural settings, the sauce is placed in a bowl and the unpeeled potatoes are served separately. everyone will sit around, choose the variety of potatoes they like best, peel it and dip it in the sauce. It tastes great both ways.
11. Australia.