Causa limeña
Causa limeña
A cold yellow potato terrine with lime and chilli, layered with chicken or tuna — Lima's starter that is not mashed potatoes.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Causa limeña.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 55 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Causa is mashed yellow potato seasoned with lime and ají, pressed into a cold layered cake with a chicken, tuna or avocado middle. It should slice. If the potato is glue, you overworked it or used the wrong potato.
Ingredients
- Potato, yellow or floury, boiled900 g
- Lime3
- Ají amarillo30 ml
- Neutral oil44 ml
- Chicken, cooked, shredded, or use canned tuna250 g
- Mayonnaise44 ml
- Avocado (optional)1
- Salt4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Mash hot potato with lime, ají, oil and salt. Cool. Mix chicken with mayo.
20 minStep 2
Press half the potato into a lined dish, filling, avocado if using, remaining potato. Chill 1 hour. Slice.
15 min
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Chicken → Tuna in oil, drained
Causa de atún. Very common.
Tips
- A ring mould makes cafe slices. A loaf tin makes family slices.
- Olive and egg on top are the Lima garnish.
History & culture
A starter, a lunch, a buffet plate. The yellow potato (papa amarilla) is the point; ordinary potato is the stand-in.
The name may come from Inca 'kausay' (sustenance) or from a war-effort causa. Historians argue. The plate is still served.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: GORE Callao via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Causa%20lime%C3%B1a%202023.jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Causa limeña take?
1 hr 55 min all in — 30 min prep, 25 min cook, 1 hr rest. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 slices. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Chicken → Tuna in oil, drained. Causa de atún. Very common.
Any tips from this recipe?
A ring mould makes cafe slices. A loaf tin makes family slices. Olive and egg on top are the Lima garnish.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Papa a la Huancaína
Papa a la Huancaína
Boiled potatoes under a cold ají-and-cheese sauce — a yellow plate from the highlands that became a national starter.
40 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Ceviche
Ceviche
Peruvian lime-cured fish with chilli, red onion and coriander. Your fishmonger matters more than your knife skills.
40 minMedium🌶️🌶️
Ají de gallina
Ají de gallina
Shredded chicken in a bread-thickened yellow chilli sauce — Lima comfort that looks rich and is.
1 hrMedium🌶️🌶️