Ocopa (Potatoes in Huacatay and Peanut Sauce)
Sliced potatoes covered in a creamy green-gold sauce of ají amarillo, huacatay (Peruvian black mint), roasted peanuts, fresh cheese and crackers. Arequipa's answer to papa a la huancaína.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Boil the potatoes
Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot, cover with the water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes until tender, then cool, peel and cut into thick slices.
- 800 g potatoes
- 2 L water
- 1 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: a knife slides in easily
Toast the aderezo
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and chillies for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly charred.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 chillies
✅ Done when: onion is soft with lightly charred edges
Blend the sauce
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Serve
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Boil the potatoes
Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot, cover with the water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes until tender, then cool, peel and cut into thick slices.
- 800 g potatoes
- 2 L water
- 1 tbsp salt
✅ Done when: a knife slides in easily
Toast the aderezo
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and chillies for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly charred.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 chillies
✅ Done when: onion is soft with lightly charred edges
Blend the sauce
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Ocopa comes from Arequipa, where it was once ground on a batán, a large flat grinding stone. Its key ingredient is huacatay, an Andean herb with a flavour between mint, basil and tarragon.
Like papa a la huancaína, it's a typical starter in Peruvian homes and restaurants.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Herbal, nutty and creamy, it's the green, more aromatic cousin of huancaína sauce.
💡 Fun Fact
Huacatay is so aromatic that Andean farmers have used it as a natural pest repellent in their fields.
Arequipa
-16.41°S, -71.54°W
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