Salsa de Maní

Bolivian and Andean peanut sauce over potatoes

Origin: Bolivia & Ecuador (Andean highlands)

From the journey of Peanut.

Salsa de maní is one of the oldest continuously prepared peanut sauces in the world: a direct descendant of the peanut sauces made in the Andean highlands and Bolivian lowlands since peanuts were first cultivated here around 7,000 BCE. The name is simple: maní is the Taino-Spanish word for peanut, carried from the Caribbean islands across Latin America and today the dominant word for peanut in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. The sauce is found throughout the Andean arc: in Ecuador it dresses llapingachos (potato cakes); in Bolivia it accompanies salteñas, rice dishes, and boiled potatoes; in Colombia it is stirred into soups (ajiaco). The base is always the same: roasted peanuts, ají amarillo or local chile, onion, garlic, and a liquid to thin it. Cheese and milk are post-colonial additions that deepen the sauce's richness but are not strictly necessary. This is pre-Columbian flavour architecture: fat, heat, alliums, and the mellow depth of the roasted legume.

Ingredients

Sauce

200 g roasted unsalted peanuts (skin on or off)
2 tbsp ají amarillo paste (or 1 fresh ají amarillo, deseeded; or 1 tsp smoked paprika + pinch cayenne)
1 white onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp vegetable oil
250 ml whole milk (or water for a dairy-free version)
50 g queso fresco or mild feta, crumbled (optional)

Seasoning

1 tsp salt, or to taste

To Serve

800 g waxy potatoes, peeled and boiled whole until tender
2 hard-boiled eggs, halved

Garnish

4 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander, chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ají amarillo paste and cook for 2 minutes more until fragrant.
Transfer the cooked onion mixture to a blender. Add the roasted peanuts, milk, and cheese (if using). Blend on high until smooth and creamy; at least 90 seconds. The sauce should be thick but pourable, similar to a loose hummus.
Pour the sauce into a small saucepan and warm gently over low heat, stirring constantly. Season with salt. Do not boil; it will thicken further on heating.
Arrange the warm boiled potatoes on a serving plate or individual plates. Spoon the warm peanut sauce generously over the top. Garnish with halved eggs and chopped herbs.

Notes

Salsa de maní can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; it thickens significantly on cooling. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or water. The sauce is also excellent with grilled chicken, over rice, or as a dip for corn tortillas. In Ecuador, a version with peanuts and cheese is called 'crema de maní' and is stirred into soups directly at the table.

The Gastrographer

Name: Salsa de Maní
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Bolivia & Ecuador
Ingredients: 200 g roasted unsalted peanuts (skin on or off); 2 tbsp ají amarillo paste (or 1 fresh ají amarillo, deseeded; or 1 tsp smoked paprika + pinch cayenne); 1 white onion, roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 250 ml whole milk (or water for a dairy-free version); 50 g queso fresco or mild feta, crumbled (optional); 1 tsp salt, or to taste; 800 g waxy potatoes, peeled and boiled whole until tender; 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved; 4 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander, chopped

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control