Special Pachamanca Sauce (Ají Pachamanquero)

A creamy green Andean sauce made with rocoto, guacatay, toasted peanuts, and fresh cheese — the traditional condiment that brings pachamanca to life.

download Extracted 2026-04-01

10m Prep

10m Cook

20m Total

4 Servings

andean sauce aji pachamanca guacatay rocoto hachi sierra streetfood condiment green-sauce cheese

Ingredients

blender

100 g cold boiled or filtered water
100 g fresh white cheese (quesillo / ricotta / requesón)
salt (to taste — adjust carefully as cheese is salty) optional
salted soda cracker (optional thickener) (crumbled — add only if sauce is too thin) optional

sofrito

50 g vegetable oil
5 g garlic (sliced thin)
50 g onion (finely diced)
pinch toasted peanuts (a pinch)
156 g rocoto pepper (chopped; remove seeds and veins for less heat)
39 g guacatay leaves (Peruvian black mint)
pinch black pepper (a pinch)

Steps

1

Heat vegetable oil (50 g) in a pan over very low heat. Add sliced garlic (5 g) and finely diced onion (50 g). Cook gently until beginning to soften.

~4 min
2

When the onion starts to soften, add a pinch of toasted peanuts. Before the mixture begins to color, add the chopped rocoto (156 g). Stir well.

Tip: The rocoto releases capsaicin when heated — work in a ventilated area.

~3 min
3

Add a generous amount of oil and the guacatay leaves (39 g). Fry the guacatay leaves in the oil — this is important to prevent oxidation when blending later. Add a pinch of black pepper. Cook until the guacatay leaves wilt, then turn off heat and allow to cool completely before blending.

Tip: Frying the guacatay in oil prevents oxidation and keeps the sauce a vibrant green color.

~5 min
4

Once the mixture is cool, transfer to a blender. Add cold filtered water (100 g) and fresh white cheese/quesillo (100 g). Blend until very smooth. Taste and add salt only if needed — the cheese is already salty.

Tip: If the sauce comes out too thin, add a crumbled salted soda cracker to thicken it.

~3 min
5

Strain the sauce if needed for a silkier texture. Serve immediately or store in a squeeze bottle. The sauce pairs beautifully with pachamanca or any grilled meat.

~2 min

Cultural Context

Pachamanca is an ancient Andean earth-oven cooking tradition in which meats and vegetables are cooked with heated stones underground. The ají pachamanquero — also known as 'hachi' — is the essential sauce served alongside, made from rocoto and guacatay. It is deeply rooted in Andean highland food culture.