Causa Limeña (Layered Potato and Chicken Terrine)
Smooth, lime-bright mashed yellow potato seasoned with ají amarillo, layered with creamy chicken salad and avocado and served cold. A colourful Peruvian starter or light lunch.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Cook the potatoes
Boil the whole, unpeeled potatoes in the water with the salt for 20-25 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain, peel while still warm, then press through a or mash until completely smooth with no lumps.
- 1 kg potatoes
- 2 L water
- 1 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: a knife or skewer slides into the potatoes easily
Season the potato
While the mashed potato is still warm, knead in the , the juice of 2 limes, the oil and the salt until you get a smooth, soft dough. Taste it, it should be tangy and well seasoned, then let it cool to room temperature.
- all mashed potato from step 1
- 3 tbsp
- juice of 2 limes lime juice
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: the dough is smooth, holds together, and tastes well seasoned
Make the chicken filling
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Prepare the avocado
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Layer the causa
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Unmould and serve
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Cook the potatoes
Boil the whole, unpeeled potatoes in the water with the salt for 20-25 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain, peel while still warm, then press through a or mash until completely smooth with no lumps.
- 1 kg potatoes
- 2 L water
- 1 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: a knife or skewer slides into the potatoes easily
Season the potato
While the mashed potato is still warm, knead in the , the juice of 2 limes, the oil and the salt until you get a smooth, soft dough. Taste it, it should be tangy and well seasoned, then let it cool to room temperature.
- all mashed potato from step 1
- 3 tbsp
- juice of 2 limes lime juice
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: the dough is smooth, holds together, and tastes well seasoned
Make the chicken filling
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Prepare the avocado
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Layer the causa
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Unmould and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Peru is the homeland of the potato, with thousands of native varieties, and the Andean peoples have eaten mashed potato with chilli for centuries. Causa limeña is the modern, layered version that became a fixture in Lima's homes and restaurants.
A popular story says the name comes from the War of the Pacific (1879–1884), when women sold this dish 'for the cause' (por la causa) to raise money for soldiers.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Cold, colourful and tangy, it shows off Peru's yellow potato and ají amarillo in a dish that looks as good as it tastes.
💡 Fun Fact
Another theory links the name to the Quechua word kausay, meaning 'sustenance of life'.
Lima
-12.05°S, -77.04°W
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