Causa Negra

Name: Causa Negra
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 2 lbs waxy potatoes (yukon gold), peeled and cubed; 1 lb fresh beets, peeled and cubed; 2 cans canned tuna in water, drained; 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 2 tbsp lime juice (fresh); 2 tbsp aji verde sauce; 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 2 eggs hard-boiled egg, sliced; 1/2 cup pitted black olives; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 2 tbsp butter

A striking purple-hued variation of the classic causa limeña, made with beets and potatoes. This elegant layered dish features a savory tuna or seafood filling, creating a beautiful contrast on the plate.

50 minMediumServes 4380 cal/serving

PeruvianLunchStovetopPescatarianStandard

Ingredients

2 lbs waxy potatoes (yukon gold), peeled and cubed
1 lb fresh beets, peeled and cubed
2 cans canned tuna in water, drained
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp lime juice (fresh)
2 tbsp aji verde sauce
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 eggs hard-boiled egg, sliced
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1

Boil 2 lbs peeled and cubed waxy potatoes (yukon gold) and 1 lb peeled and cubed fresh beets separately in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes each. Drain well and return to their pots.
2

Mash waxy potatoes (yukon gold) with 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp white pepper until creamy.
3

In a separate bowl, mash fresh beets with 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp white pepper.
4

In another bowl, mix 2 cans drained canned tuna in water, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp lime juice (fresh), 2 tbsp aji verde sauce, 1/2 cup finely diced red onion, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.
5

Line a square or rectangular baking dish with plastic wrap. Layer half the fresh beets mixture on the bottom, then spread the canned tuna in water filling, and top with the remaining fresh beets mixture.
6

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
7

Invert onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Slice into portions.
8

Garnish with 2 eggs sliced hard-boiled egg slices and 1/2 cup pitted black olives, and serve chilled.

Questions

Can I make Causa Negra dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 2 tbsp butter. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

How long does Causa Negra keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Can I halve or double Causa Negra?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is a plain-text cooking reference of 4,481 recipes, free to read and cook from, with no account and no paywall. In the app, this entry scales itself: half, standard, or double batch, every quantity recomputed inside the step that uses it. No ads, no life stories, no photos of somebody else's dinner.

The entries are curated and public-domain sourced, written to a fixed template and checked against it: tested quantities, one closed vocabulary of methods, and precomputed half and double batches on every line. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser, instantly. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually, and the first 30 days are free.