Kitchen · La Paz · Bolivia

Sajta de pollo

At 3,600 metres, La Paz takes its lunch seriously, and sajta is the plate that wins arguments: chicken in a golden ají amarillo sauce that's more warm than fiery, with a fresh salsa on top. It's a dish for family Sundays and for festivals, so the portions come generous and nobody leaves early.

• OriginLa Paz · Bolivia
• Time1 h 15 min
• Servings4

Ingredients

• Chicken
• 4 chicken thighs or leg quarters, bone in (about 1 kg)
• 1.2 litres water
• 1 tsp salt
• Sauce
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large onion (about 200 g), finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp ají amarillo paste (yellow chilli paste)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 150 g green peas (fresh or frozen)
• Sarza (fresh salsa)
• 1 tomato, diced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ locoto (Bolivian hot chilli) or 1 small red chilli, finely chopped, seeds removed
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp white vinegar or lime juice, and a pinch of salt
• To serve
• 600 g potatoes, boiled in their skins
• Chuño (freeze-dried Andean potato), soaked overnight and boiled (optional)

Steps

1. Put the chicken, water and salt in a pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for 30 minutes. Lift out the chicken and keep the broth.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan. Cook the onion over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until soft and golden, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the ají amarillo paste, cumin, oregano and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasty.
4. Add 500 ml of the broth and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning it once.
5. Add the peas for the last 5 minutes. The sauce should coat a spoon; if it's too thin, simmer it uncovered a little longer.
6. Check the chicken is cooked through: no pink at the bone and the juices run clear (74 °C at the thickest part).
7. Mix the sarza ingredients and leave for 10 minutes.
8. Serve the chicken and sauce with potatoes, and chuño if you have it, with the sarza on top.

Variations

Some families shred the chicken, and some cook it in the sauce from the start. Many add a spoonful of breadcrumbs or ground peanuts to thicken the sauce, which adds gluten or peanuts. Ají amarillo paste stands in for the dried ají amarillo that's toasted and ground in La Paz kitchens. Sajta de lengua (tongue) is a classic alternative.

Local tip: If you can find chuño, don't skip it. It's the Altiplano's freeze-dried potato, and its chewy texture is half the point.

Food safety: Cook chicken through, as in step 6. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 2 days.

Allergens: none of the 14 EU major allergens in the base recipe. The breadcrumbs (gluten) and peanut variations add allergens; check the labels on ají paste and stock.

Educational information about food and cooking, not medical or nutritional advice. Check the allergens on each recipe and on product labels, and adapt the recipes to your needs.