Peruvian Dried Potato and Pork Stew (Carapulcra)
Carapulcra Say it: kah-rah-POOL-krah
Carapulcra is a deeply traditional Peruvian stew built on papa seca — potatoes dried in the Andean sun — simmered with pork, ají panca and ground peanuts until dark, thick and glossy. It is an Afro-Peruvian classic from the Chincha and Ica valleys, served at family tables and festivals, usually with rice and salsa criolla. The dried potato gives it a dense, slightly chewy bite, while chocolate and cinnamon add a warm, faintly sweet depth.
Peruvian Dried Potato and Pork Stew (Carapulcra)
Carapulcra
Pronounced kah-rah-POOL-krah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also egg-free.
Allergens: contains peanuts. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the stew
To serve
Method
Toast the papa seca in a dry heavy pot over medium heat, stirring often, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, 6 to 8 minutes. Tip it into a bowl, cover with 6 cups (1.4 L) hot water and soak for at least 1 hour, or overnight, until softened; drain well, keeping the soaking liquid.
Pat the pork dry and season with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches, 6 to 8 minutes per batch, until well colored on all sides. Set the meat aside.
Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion in the same pot, stirring, until soft and golden at the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, ají panca, ají amarillo, cumin, cloves and cinnamon and cook, stirring, 5 to 7 minutes, until the paste darkens, thickens and the fat separates.
Return the pork and its juices to the pot, pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until the wine has almost evaporated.
Add the drained papa seca and 5 cups (1.2 L) of the reserved soaking liquid or stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partly and cook 45 to 55 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and adding more liquid as needed, until the potato is tender and the stew is thick.
Stir in the ground peanuts and chocolate and cook uncovered 10 to 15 minutes more, stirring, until the stew is velvety and mounds softly on a spoon. Taste and adjust the salt, then fish out the cloves and cinnamon stick.
Spoon onto plates and serve with steamed white rice, salsa criolla and, if you like, boiled yuca or sweet potato.
Regional variant: Carapulcra de gallina (hen carapulcra)
Replace the pork with 1 small stewing hen or 3 lb (1.4 kg) chicken pieces, browned the same way but simmered in the aderezo with 1 cup (240 ml) extra stock for 30 to 40 minutes before the papa seca goes in, so the tougher meat is tender. Everything else stays the same; the stew comes out lighter and a little more delicate.
Cook's notes
- Papa seca is sold in Latin American and Andean markets; if you cannot find it, use any sun-dried or dehydrated potato product and adjust the soaking time to the package directions.
- Stir the stew often once the potato goes in — it sinks and scorches quickly on the base of the pot.
- The stew thickens a lot as it cools; loosen leftovers with a splash of stock when reheating.
Serve with
Steamed white rice, salsa criolla, and a cold glass of chicha morada or beer.
Make ahead and storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated and freezes well for up to 2 months; reheat gently with a splash of stock.
