Today's recipe is very common in the highlands of Bolivia, where they call it peske (or pesque) de quinoa. In some areas of the Bolivian and Peruvian altiplano they serve it as a thick, mazamorra-like soup (a good thing now that fall is in the air).
You can also serve it as a side dish with meat. I love it because I love quinoa! Keep Reading for the full recipe that I found in my new cooking bible: the extraordinary book The Food of Latin America – Gran Cocina Latina, by Maricel Presilla.
Read more ¿Qué más? Guatemalan tomato and tomatillo adobo (RECIPE)
Pesque de quinoa (Quinoa serrana)
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
3 dried mirasol peppers, stemmed and seeded
3 tablespoons of olive oil
8 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste in a mortar with a pestle
1 cup of red onion finely chopped
1/2 cup of feta cheese crumbled
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
1 pound of potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup of quinoa
1/2 cup of milk
Preparation
- In a pot, add the quinoa, 1 quart of water and salt to taste. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the quinoa is barely cooked. Remove from heat and drain. Reserve.
- Place the chiles in a small saucepan, add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the liquid.
- Combine the chiles and the liquid and process in a food processor or blender to a puree. Reserve.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until golden, about 40 seconds. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Stir half of the cheese and cook and cook for 30 second, stirring.
- Pour in the chile puree and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the cumin and salt, stir in the potatoes, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the quinoa, then the remaining cheese, and mix.
- Add one cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally for 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and all the water has evaporated.
- Stir in the milk, mixing well, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
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Image via CuzcoEats
