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Uchucuta
Uchucuta: Ayacucho and Cusco's chunky chilli sauce of rocoto, huacatay, peanuts and fresh cheese
Ground on a batán, the flat grinding stone found in Andean kitchens, uchucuta is the table sauce of Ayacucho and Cusco: rocoto or yellow chilli crushed with huacatay, toasted peanuts and a little fresh cheese into a thick, speckled green-red paste. It goes on boiled potatoes, choclo, broad beans and huatia, and on festival days it sits next to every plate. The flavour is hot, herby and nutty, with a salty creaminess from the cheese. The name comes from the Quechua uchu, chilli, and it is meant to be spicy, but people often add all the rocoto at once and end up with something inedible; blend in half, taste and build up. A food processor or blender will do the work of the stone, though pulse it so the sauce keeps some texture. Queso fresco is usually made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian fresh cheese if you prefer. Chef's tip: toast the peanuts yourself until just golden; their warmth softens the raw sharpness of the chilli.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Toast 1 ¾ oz raw peanuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, shaking often, until golden and fragrant, 4–5 minutes. Let them cool.
5 minStep 2: Put the peanuts, ½ rocoto, ⅔ oz huacatay leaves, 2 spring onions, 2 ⅞ oz queso fresco, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, ¼ cup water and ½ tsp salt in a blender or food processor.
Step 3: Pulse into a thick, slightly coarse sauce, scraping down the sides. Taste, then pulse in the rest of ½ rocoto a little at a time until it is as hot as you like.
Step 4: Spoon into a bowl and serve at room temperature. It keeps for 2 days covered in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does uchucuta take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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