The Causa rellena or Causa limeña or simply causa, is a traditional dish of Peruvian cuisine of pre-Columbian origin, where “causa” refers to the yellow potato and “rellena” to the filling.
Described as a sort of mini casserole made of yellow potatoes and a typical white meat filling, in ancient Peru it was prepared with yellow potatoes mashed with chopped aji amarillo.
During the Viceroyalty era, between the 16th and 19th centuries, lemon (originally from Asia) was added, reaching the modern form, both in ingredients and in presentation.
This dish is traditionally prepared with: yellow potatoes, lemon, hard-boiled egg, aji amarillo, mayonnaise, and black olives.
It can also contain avocado in the filling and lettuce for decoration.
The preparation allows for many variations, such as tuna, trout, shellfish, crab, or octopus causa rellena.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
- Cuisine: Peruvian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs yellow potatoes
- 3 aji amarillo
- 0.55 lbs chicken breast
- 3 onions
- 1 green chili
- 5 chili peppers
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- 3 lemons
- 0.42 cup mayonnaise
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- to taste black olives
- to taste lettuce
- 1 avocado
- to taste salt and pepper
Tools
- 1 Pastry Ring
Steps
Boil the potatoes in salted water and make a purée.
Boil and then chop the aji amarillo and blend it into a sauce.
Boil the chicken in water with 1 onion, the green pepper, the chili peppers and salt, for about 15 minutes.
Shred the chicken and add the other two chopped onions, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
Add the sauce to the potatoes, the oil, the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Create the cake, using a pastry ring with a base: sliced avocado, potatoes, chicken, potatoes.
Garnish with hard-boiled egg and black olives, serve with lettuce.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Where does the etymology of Causa rellena come from?
There are some hypotheses about the dish’s name linking it to historical war episodes of the Andean country’s contemporary history.
In some versions of the story, it is said that the causa was prepared for the first time during the colonial period, while the Spaniards knew it as “kausay”.
According to Peruvian historian Rodolfo Tafur, the word “kausay” derives from the Quechuan, meaning “life” or “giver of life”.
It was with the arrival of libertador José de San Martín that, to solve the military campaign expenses, this dish was sold on the corners of Lima’s streets, as a way to contribute to the cause.
On the other hand, it may also be possible that it was a patriotic dish during the Peruvian-Chilean Pacific War.
At the time, women helped soldiers by offering them this cold dish.What is aji amarillo?
Aji Amarillo is a pepper grown mainly in Peru, but used throughout Latin America.
The fruit can reach up to 4 inches in length, are orange-colored, and have an elongated shape; they are consumed fresh to enjoy their fragrance and flavor.
With an intense yellow color and a moderate degree of spiciness.
The plant in its native locations can reach up to 6.6 feet in height.
