Causa Limeña

A Peruvian classic and perfect for summer

Hi friends! How are we doing now that it’s almost officially summer? I’m very happy about it and especially excited about all the summer produce. This is my favourite time of year in terms of food. It’s also crazy to think that we are almost at the halfway point of 2025!! So much has happened, and I’m taking this time to do a little check-in with myself and my goals for the next 6 months. I really want to make Substack a priority, more than it’s already been, so I’m trying to optimize the way I bring you recipes and add a little something extra for you to enjoy.

That said, I’ve decided to add printable recipe cards to every newsletter because 1. I’ve gotten the request to make my recipes more printable more than once and 2. I think there is something really nice about having recipes printed on paper in this very digital world. I was even considering putting together a little book of my favourite recipes from various sources. Could be a future project, I’ll share more if/when I make that happen. Anyways, when you scroll to the bottom of this post, you’ll see a link to download the PDF version of the recipe card for easy printing.

So yeah, I’ve added an analogue-leaning component to this page which I hope you’ll find helpful or at least fun to look at. Aside from that update, I’ve also been thinking about using this platform to share more casual food, wellness, travels, life, what I’ve been loving, not loving, etc. So don’t be surprised if you see a bit of that sprinkled through to start!

Okay, thanks for bearing with me through that housekeeping. Onto today’s recipe: Causa Limeña! Recreating Peruvian dishes has been one of my favourite parts of food content for the past little while. And even if you don’t make these dishes, at least now they’re on your radar. That’s a win in my books because Peruvian food is still on the come up here in North America—I know I will get some push back on that statement, mostly from Peruvians, but I stand by it—so it means a lot to me that I get to share how to make these traditional staples at home.

Causa Limena, also called causa rellena or simply, causa, is one of the most popular dishes in Peru. It has very early origins, dating back to the ancient civilizations of Peru before Spanish colonization. It’s a dish of mashed potatoes layered with some sort of meat or seafood filling, typically chicken, tuna, salmon, crab, etc. Potatoes have long been a staple of the Andean diet—so essential that the name Causa is believed to originate from the Quechua word kausay, which means “life” or “sustenance.” When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they brought their own ingredients and cooking techniques which fused with the existing ones. Lime and olive oil was introduced to the dish through Spanish influence, and later on eggs, avocado and olives were incorporated.

The main components of the dish, however, have always remained the same: a meaty filling nestled between layers of fluffy, peppery potatoes. Today I’m sharing a tuna version because I’m pescatarian and also feel tuna is readily accessible to most of us. This dish is served cold, usually as a small plate or appetizer, and I think it’s perfect for summer hosting. A nice change from your typical potato salad. I really do want you to be able to make this, so I’ve made a small substitution note in the recipe for those who cannot access aji amarillo—the yellow pepper used heavily in Peruvian cooking. I do, however, recommend that you buy a jar of aji amarillo paste if you feel like dabbling in Peruvian cooking for the foreseeable future—it’s easily found online and at most latin markets and a jar will last you a while. I use it in most of my Peruvian recipes and once you have it, the rest of the ingredients are pretty straightforward. Okay, let’s get into it!

Causa Limeña

Ingredients:

Mashed Potatoes:

• 3 medium-sized yukon gold potatoes

• 1.5 tbsps aji amarillo paste (adjust to taste up to 3 tbsps)*

• juice of half lime

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 3/4 tsp salt

Filling:

• 1 170g can tuna, drained

• 2 tbsps mayo (I like kewpie, this is usually made with Alacena Peruvian mayo)

• 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 avocado, sliced

Garnish:

• mayo

• chopped cilantro

• hard boiled egg, quartered

• kalamata olives

*If you cannot access aji amarillo, you can leave it out and add 1/8 tsp of turmeric to the potatoes for colour. You will miss out on the signature aji amarillo flavour, but it will still be delicious and you can add chopped jalapeño, chili flakes or your favourite hot sauce to the tuna salad for some heat.

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Instructions:

1. Prep the potatoes:

   • Add potatoes to a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.

   • Add the cooked potatoes to a large bowl and fill with cold water to cool them down and stop the cooking process. Once cool, score around the circumference of each potato and pull the skin off.

2. Make the potato mixture:

   • Run the potatoes through a potato ricer or, if you don’t have one, a mesh sieve to get them completely smooth.

   • Stir the mashed potatoes together with aji amarillo, lime juice, olive oil and salt until combined thoroughly.

3. Make the filling:

   • In a small bowl, stir together the tuna, red onion and mayo.

4. Assemble the causa:

   • Using a 3.5” ring mold, or a similar sized round container, form 1/4 of the potato mixture into a circle and press it into the bottom of the ring mold/container until flat. Add 1/2 the tuna filling and press down. Top with 1/4 of a sliced avocado. Form another 1/4 of the potato mixture into a circle and press it onto the avocado to form the top of the causa.

   • Carefully slide off the ring mold or container to reveal your causa layers.

   • Repeat the last two steps to form the second causa.

   • Top each causa with a drizzle of mayo, chopped cilantro, a couple quarters of hard-boiled egg and olives.

Causa Limeña Recipe

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I hope you give this one a try, whether it be for yourself or for a little summer get together. They’re unique, delish, easy to put together and PRETTY, which is a priority, let’s be so for real. Let me know if you do—I’ll see you next time!

Raquel xo

IG: @FreshofftheRaq

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