Ingredients
To cook with
- 250 gchuño negro
- cold water, for soaking
- salt
To make, traditionally
- 10 kgsmall bitter potatoes
- three or four nights of hard frost with clear sunny days
- running water, for the white version
Directions
- Squeeze each piece firmly to drive out the dark water, then rinse again until it runs clear.
- Boil in salted water for 30 minutes, until softened all the way to the centre.
- Add it to a stew or soup for the last 20 minutes, where it takes up the broth and turns spongy and dense rather than fluffy the way fresh potato does.
- Serve alongside meat, or in chairo, the Bolivian lamb and chuño soup.
Technique
- Soak, squeeze, then boil. Skipping the squeeze leaves it bitter and grey-tasting.
- Chuño negro is earthy and strong; tunta is pale and much milder. They are not interchangeable in a dish that has been built around one of them.
- The texture is meant to be dense and slightly spongy. Anyone expecting mashed potato will be surprised.
Substitutions
- Tunta, if you want the same function with a far milder flavour.
- There is no real substitute. It is a distinct ingredient rather than a way of preparing potatoes.
Variations
- Chuño phuti, boiled then scrambled with egg and fresh cheese.
- Ground into flour and used to thicken soups.
- Cooked whole in chairo alongside lamb and vegetables.
History
Altiplano farmers freeze potatoes overnight, tread out the water and sun-dry them, a preservation method used since before the Inca.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chuño?
Chuño is a salad & side from Bolivia: freeze-dried potatoes, black or white, rehydrated into soups and stews. Altiplano farmers freeze potatoes overnight, tread out the water and sun-dry them, a preservation method used since before the Inca.
How long does Chuño take to make?
Chuño takes overnight soaking of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Chuño?
Yes, within limits. Tunta, if you want the same function with a far milder flavour. There is no real substitute. It is a distinct ingredient rather than a way of preparing potatoes.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chuño?
Add it to a stew or soup for the last 20 minutes, where it takes up the broth and turns spongy and dense rather than fluffy the way fresh potato does.
