AI-generated image
Ají amarillo paste
Pasta de ají amarillo: blanched yellow chillies, peeled and blended silky with oil, the sunshine base of Peruvian cooking
In Lima's markets ají amarillo is sold fresh all year, and most Peruvian cooks keep a tub of this paste in the fridge the way others keep tomato purée: it is the golden base of causa limeña, ají de gallina, papa a la huancaína, chupe and the sauce for tiraditos. The chillies are seeded, de-veined and blanched in three changes of water, which tames the heat and the raw grassiness, then peeled and blended with oil into a thick, silky, saffron-orange paste. It tastes fruity and sunny, almost like apricot and passion fruit, with a rounded, medium heat. Abroad, buy whole frozen ají amarillo from Latin grocers; dried ají mirasol, soaked, gives a darker, earthier paste. Common mistake: skipping the peeling; the thin skins leave papery flecks and a bitter edge. It is ready when it is completely smooth and holds a soft peak like thick hummus. This is a low-acid paste: keep it in the fridge for a week or freeze it, never on the shelf. Chef's tip: freeze it in an ice-cube tray; one cube is about a tablespoon, just right for a pot of ají de gallina.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the paste
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh or frozen ají amarillo chilliesabout 12; thawed if frozen
- ¼ cup neutral vegetable oil
- ½ tsp salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put on gloves. Cut the stalks off 1 ⅛ lb fresh or frozen ají amarillo chillies, halve them lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds and white veins with a teaspoon.
10 minStep 2: Put the chillies in a pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and drain. Repeat twice more with fresh cold water each time, three boils in all, until the chillies are soft and the kitchen smells fruity rather than sharp.
20 minStep 3: When cool enough to handle, peel off the thin skins with your fingers or the back of a knife; they slip off easily after blanching.
10 minStep 4: Blend the chillies with ¼ cup neutral vegetable oil and ½ tsp salt for 2–3 minutes, scraping down the sides, until completely smooth and glossy. Add a spoonful of fresh water only if the blender stalls.
3 minStep 5: Spoon into a clean jar (washed hot and dried 10 minutes in a 250°F oven), smooth the top and cover with a thin film of oil. Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, using a clean spoon, or freeze in ice-cube trays for up to 6 months. Throw it out if mould, fizzing or a sour, off smell appears.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 55 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ají amarillo paste take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Vegetable brown stock
A hearty stock that's simmered for 2 hours, then blended and strained, so the potato gives it body. Its deeper flavour suits thick soups, gravies and stews. Freeze it in portions so it's ready when you need it.
Chaat masala
Chaat masala is the tangy, salty, slightly sulphurous sprinkle that makes chaat taste like chaat. Dried mango (amchur) gives the sourness and black salt the distinctive savoury edge. Sprinkle it over fruit, salads, raita, chips and street-food snacks.
Indian
Bean sprouts
Sprouting whole green grams makes them crunchier, quicker to cook and more nutritious. All you need is muslin, water and a warm spot, and they're ready in 3–4 days. Use them in salads, bhel, usal and stir-fries. Any other whole pulse sprouts the same way.