Potatoes, Buttercup Squash, Autumn Cup Squash, Butternut Squash – all these ingredients are ideal for Locro, a delicious Peruvian dish perfect for fall. Locro, or “Quechua Ruqru” in the Incan language, is a thick, hearty stew originating in the Andes, but popular in every region of Peru. It can be made with different types of squash or pumpkin.
My mom always made sure we had very nutritious meals at home and Locro definitely fits the bill. Its main components, squash or pumpkin, are great sources of potassium, niacin and iron as well as beta-carotene.
Locro is a simple, healthy and economical everyday dish and it’s great for vegetarians. You can serve it with rice but it also goes well with a piece of fried fish or just a simple salsa criolla (pickled onions in lime)
INGREDIENTS:
Yields 6 servings
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Aji Amarillo paste
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 lb buttercup squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed (or pumpkin)
- 1 lb autumn squash, peeled and cubed
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup fresh peas
- ½ cup corn kernels, removed from the cob
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- ½ cup fresh white cheese or mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (optional)
- 1 tsp chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
1. In a round, shallow pot, heat the oil over a medium flame and sauté the chopped onion until translucent.
2. Add the garlic, Aji Amarillo paste, salt, pepper and cumin and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the buttercup squash, butternut squash, the autumn squash, potatoes, peas and corn.
3. Pour in half the vegetable stock, cover and reduce the heat to low.
4. Simmer for about 30 minutes, adding remaining stock as necessary.
5. Once all the ingredients are cooked, add the cheese and heavy cream and season to taste. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Enjoy!
