Name: Causa Vegetariano (Potato Cake with Vegetables and Cheese)
Yield: Serves 6 as an Appetizer or Light Lunch
Ingredients: 6 fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish; ¼ cup/35 g diced red onion (¼-in/6-mm. dice); ¼ cup/35 g fresh corn kernels; 6 to 8 green beans, stem end trimmed and cut into ¼-in/6-mm dice; ¼ cup/15 g lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped; 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher or fine sea salt; 2 lb/910 g Peruvian yellow potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes; ½ cup/120 ml. canola or other neutral oil; 2 tsp. fresh Key lime or regular lime juice; ¼ cup/60 ml. fresh Key lime or regular lime juice; 1 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil; 1 tbsp amarillo chile paste (or store-bought); 1½ oz/40 g queso Oaxaca or queso fresco, cut into ¼-in/6-mm dice; ¼ cup/40 g pitted Botija or Kalamata olives, cut into ¼-in/6-mm dice; ¼ cup/40 g diced, seeded Roma tomato (¼-in/6-mm. dice)

Preparation info

Serves
6
as an Appetizer

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Roots

By Diane Morgan

Published 2012

About

You might find it hard to imagine that cold mashed potatoes can be both delicious and beautifully presented; Causa is often served at weddings and other celebrations, proving that it meets both descriptions.

Ají amarillo, the most common Peruvian chile, is known as yellow Peruvian chile in the united States. It delivers moderate heat with fruity, citrusy accents. Look for jars of prepared amarillo chile paste; otherwise, buy either whole dried chiles or jarred w