Every now and then I get an email from people asking me if I know how to make Ají De Gallina. The answer is a resounding yes. This is a traditional Peruvian recipe that is always served at parties and celebrations. This year my nieces and nephews are getting married, and I thought it would be fun to cook the recipe for them.
Ají de Gallina (pronounced ah-hee deh gah-LEE-nah) is a traditional Peruvian dish of chicken cooked with aji amarillo peppers. The dish is most likely derived from the Caribbean region of the Americas, where you can find aji amarillo peppers in abundance. At least, that’s my theory about how it got here to Peru! But we all know that anything Peruvian usually winds up in New York City, so who knows!
This popular Peruvian dish made its way to the US from the Quechua Indians, who no doubt spread the word of this savory chicken dish. It’s a favorite of mine, often found in my mother’s kitchen on Sunday evenings.
This ají de gallina is a traditional and delicious Peruvian recipe, also known as chili chicken. This is a thick, nutty, spicy cream based on shredded chicken. It is usually served with boiled potatoes, rice, boiled eggs and olives.
It’s best to have yellow chilies, fresh or even dried, but if you can’t find them, you can use yellow chili paste (it’s usually sold in Latin American grocery stores). Ají de gallina is a rich and delicious dish, and although it is easy to prepare, it takes time because it requires a long preparation, but the result is worth it.
How do you wait Ají De Gallina
Ají de gallina is a very savory recipe that should be served with a side dish. Place the rice on the sides and the potatoes in the middle. Pour the Ají de gallina on top and garnish with olives and a hard-boiled egg cut in half.
Tips
– The chicken broth can be used another day to make rice or soup.
– If you don’t have yellow Peruvian chili, you can use chili paste and not mix it with the condensed milk.
– If you want to enhance the yellow color, you can add turmeric and parmesan.
– If you find that it is too thick, you can add some broth from cooked chicken breasts.
– It is best to cook several breasts at a time, freeze them and use them to finish cooking the ají de gallina.
– You can eat the ají de gallina cold or put it in a sandwich.
Ají De Gallina Variations
– Adjust the amount of chili pepper to your taste.
– You can add chopped parsley on top as a garnish.
– You can also omit some ingredients, for example. B. You can eat aji with potatoes or rice, but not both at the same time, as the dish will become quite strong.
How to save Ají De Gallina
If you have leftover ají de gallina, you can keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze them without any problems. Boiled eggs can be kept in the fridge for 5-6 days, while rice and potatoes should not be frozen as their texture can change slightly (especially potatoes). So if you want to make a large quantity of aji de gallina to freeze, cook the potatoes, rice and hard-boiled eggs just before using them. The combination of this super rich Peruvian dish is truly delicious.
How to prepare Ají De Gallina
Prepare the chicken stock. Add the breasts to the pot, along with the bay leaves. Pour in water until the breasts are completely submerged, add a little salt and cover the pot with a lid. Turn the heat up high and as soon as the water starts to boil, turn the heat down low so that the water continues to boil, but gently.
Cook the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes. Check to see if they are pink inside, then cook for a few more minutes. Place the breasts on a plate to cool and remove the broth with the vegetables.
Meanwhile, prepare the eggs, potatoes and rice. Put a pan on the heat with plenty of water, enough to completely cover the eggs, and bring to a boil. Add salt and vinegar so that when the eggs break in the water, the whites solidify quickly and don’t fall apart.
When the water is almost boiling, put the eggs one by one in a ladle and lower them into the water. Cook them for 10 minutes to cool completely. When they are done, remove them from the pan and let them cool.
Wash the potatoes and cook them in a pan with plenty of boiling water and a teaspoon of salt for about 25 minutes. You can also put them in a microwave-safe bowl and cook them for about 10 minutes until tender or, again, until you poke holes in them. Wait until the potatoes have cooled a bit so you can peel them without burning yourself.
To cook the rice, put plenty of water and a teaspoon of salt in a saucepan and set it over high heat. When it boils, add the rice and turn the heat down low, but still bubbling, and let the rice cook. Then pour in the rice water.
Once the chicken has cooled, shred it with a fork or your fingers. Peel and slice the garlic cloves, peel and slice the onion.
Put a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat and when hot, add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the onions and salt and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and golden.
Cut the bread into small pieces, place them in a deep bowl and pour the broth over them so that they can be easily kneaded with a fork and softened completely, forming a thick dough. Mix the yellow pepper with the evaporated milk. Mash the nuts in a mortar and pestle to break them up.
Add chopped chilies or paste, condensed milk, soaked bread, chicken, nuts, salt and pepper to pan. Mix ingredients and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Nuts
You can replace the bay leaf with peeled and mashed vegetables.
Roast the nuts before chopping them (you can do this in a pan or in the oven).
Cook the already soaked bread in a pan for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients.Ají De Gallina is a Peruvian chicken dish that originates from the Cusco region. It is a simple dish that takes on a whole new dimension, when it is eaten with the famous piloncillo (sugar cane) sugar. It is a typical dish of the Peruvian kitchen that is prepared on Christmas Eve, in celebration of the Purim holiday..
Read more about aji de gallina description and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is aji de gallina made of?
Aji de gallina is made of chicken, garlic, salt, black pepper, and bread crumbs.
What can I do with aji peppers?
Aji peppers can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be used in many dishes such as chilis, sauces, and salsas.
How much does ají de gallina cost?
Ají de gallina is a type of spicy, red sauce made from ají amarillo peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. It is usually served with eggs and bread. It costs between $2 and $6.
