Peruvian Causa de Camarones

Causa de camarones, a popular Peruvian dish, features a tower of seasoned mashed potatoes with layers of vibrant shrimp salad and creamy avocado! Whether served as an elegant appetizer or a light main course, this chilled dish brings the fresh, bold tastes of Peru right to your table.

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What is a Peruvian potato causa?

Potato causa is a traditional Peruvian dish that features layers of mashed potatoes seasoned with aji amarillo chili peppers and lemon, plus a protein salad (chicken, tuna fish, octopus, shrimp), other vegetables such as tomato and avocado, a creamy sauce (usually mayo based), olives. This cold dish is essentially a sophisticated potato salad, built in layers and molded into an impressive tower. You can use some of the same elements from the filling to decorate the top of the causa.

The most popular variation is called Causa Limeña (Limeña means from Lima, the capital of Peru) and is filled with chicken salad. Other popular variations include Causa de Atun (with tuna fish salad), Causa de Pulpo (with octopus), Causa Acevichada (with Peruvian ceviche), as well as vegetarian/vegan versions.

Ingredients Needed for Causa de Camarones

• Shrimp: Fresh or frozen works well. Just make sure to thaw them in the refrigerator if they are frozen. I recommend using already deveined and peeled shrimp. You can also buy already cooked shrimp for faster preparation.
• Lemon: Adds brightness and prevents potato oxidation.
• Potatoes: Choose starchy potatoes like Yukon Gold for their buttery flavor and ability to hold shape when mashed!
• Yellow Chili Paste (Ají Amarillo): The addition of ají amarillo adds a bright yellow color, subtle heat, and unique flavor. You can find it in Latin American markets or online!
• Red Onion: Soak in cold water to reduce intensity if desired.
• Red Bell Pepper: Adds a crunchy, sweet flavor.
• Pink Sauce (Salsa Rosada): Known as “salsa golf” in Peru, it’s a simple mix of mayonnaise and ketchup!
• Hard Boiled Eggs: This is a traditional layer in the causa that adds some richness.
• Avocado: Choose ripe but firm avocados that will hold their shape when sliced.
• Salt & Pepper: To taste.
• To garnish: Botija olives (Peruvian purple olives) are traditional but kalamata olives can substitute for a topping. I also like to top mine off with a whole shrimp, some avocado and an extra drizzle of pink sauce.

How to Make Causa de Camarones

1. Prep the Potatoes: Wash the potatoes well and cook them in hot water without peeling until tender. You’ll know the potatoes are cooked when they fall easily off a knife or fork when pierced. Remove them from the pot and carefully peel them. Then cut them in half and mash them with a potato masher. You can use a potato ricer or even mash them with a fork. It’s very important that there are no lumps to make the causa.

2. Add Ají Amarillo: Add the yellow chili paste and a little lemon juice to the mashed potatoes. Mix well until the purée is homogeneous. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary.

3. Cook the Shrimp: To cook the shrimp, you can boil them in a little water. My favorite method for cooking shrimp is to boil ~1 cup of water, which you can season with a garlic clove, some lemon juice, salt, and a sprig of cilantro. When boiling, add the raw shrimp to the water and lower the temperature as low as possible. Cover and let the shrimp cook for about 5 minutes or until pink. You can stir occasionally. The idea is for them to be perfectly cooked without overcooking (as they become tough and rubbery). When ready, transfer them to a bowl with cold water to stop the cooking.

3. Prep the Onion & Pepper: Peel the red onion and cut it into very small cubes. Similarly, remove the veins and seeds from the red bell pepper and cut into small cubes.
4. Dice Shrimp: Cut the shrimp into small pieces. You can reserve a few to decorate the top of the causas.
5. Cut the Eggs: Cut the hard-boiled eggs into slices, or if you prefer, you can dice them.
6. Make Shrimp Salad: In a bowl, combine: chopped shrimp, most of the pink sauce (save some to decorate the top of the causas), chopped onion, chopped red pepper, and chopped cilantro (if using). Mix well with a spoon. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

8. Choose your Mold: To assemble the causa, you’ll need a round ring mold – or square if you prefer. If you don’t have a mold, you can use a large tomato paste can with both ends removed. You can also use a ramekin or small cake mold lined with plastic wrap.

9. Add First Layer of Mashed Potatoes: Place your preferred ring mold directly on the serving plate. Add three or four tablespoons of mashed potatoes, and using a spoon, flatten and compact the mixture.

10. Add Avocado Slices: Peel the avocado and cut it into very thin slices. Sprinkle the slices with a few drops of lemon. Place a layer of avocado slices on top of the first layer of mashed potatoes. Another option is to mash the avocado and put a layer of mashed avocado instead of avocado slices.

11. Add Shrimp Salad & Egg Layers: Add about three tablespoons of shrimp salad on top of the avocados. Gently flatten and compress with a spoon. Then add the sliced or diced hard-boiled egg. You can change the order of the layers to your liking.

12. Add Another Layer of Potatoes: Finally, add two tablespoons of mashed potatoes over the shrimp salad, compact by pressing down with a spoon. Repeat this operation until you run out of ingredients.

13. Remove the Mold & Serve: Carefully remove the ring molds and decorate the top of the causas with olives, whole shrimp, bits of egg or avocado. You can also add some additional pink sauce on top of each causa.

Tips for Success

• For the best texture and appearance, make sure that the potatoes are completely lump-free!
• Use consistent amounts in each layer so that the layers look even once you remove the mold. It is also important to press down the layers a bit so that the causa de camarones sticks together in its shape!
• To make ahead, you can prepare separate components up to 24 hours in advance! I recommend making the shrimp salad fresh, but the rest of the components can be in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.

Serving Suggestions

Peruvian shrimp causa is traditionally served chilled as a first course for a dinner party or a light lunch alongside a fresh salad like my green bean tomato salad or cucumber cilantro salad.

You can also serve your causas as part of an appetizer spread alongside other Latin American inspired appetizers like Peruvian salmon tiradito, ceviche canastas, and roast pork sliders! You can also make them into mini-causas without the layers, just a small ball of the seasoned mashed potato mix topped with the shrimp salad and a slice of avocado.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t have ají amarillo paste?

If you don’t have the paste, you can try to find the actual Peruvian yellow peppers that are used in Peruvian cuisine. Sometimes you can find them in jars or frozen at Latin grocery stores!

While the aji amarillo paste here adds a unique flavor that makes this recipe traditional, you can also opt to omit it. You would still have a delicious causa de camarones, but keep in mind that it will not be the same. You could also make or buy a different type of chili paste or even add some hot sauce to the mashed potato mix.

Can I make a vegetarian or vegan Peruvian causa?

Yes! The shrimp salad filling can be replaced with layers of tomato, avocado, cucumber, hard boiled eggs (omit for vegan). Use a vegan mayonnaise for the salsa rosada. You could also use hearts of palms, beet and carrot salad, or a ‘vegan’ mashed garbanzo tuna salad as vegan fillings.

Peruvian Causa de Camarones

This classic Peruvian dish consists of layers of seasoned mashed potatoes, shrimp salad, hard-boiled egg slices, avocado, olives and pink sauce or salsa golf.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main dish

Cuisine: Latin American, Peruvian, South American

Keyword: Avocado, Causa, Mashed potatoes, Salsa golf, Shrimp salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 900 grams of yellow potatoes Yukon Gold
• 5 tbsp of mild yellow Peruvian (aji amarillo) chili paste adjust to taste
• 1 lemon
• 250 grams of cooked medium-sized shrimp peeled and deveined – you can use raw shrimp (see cooking instructions below) or buy them already cooked
• 1 small red onion or half a large red onion, 60g
• 1 small sweet red bell pepper or half a large red bell pepper, 60g
• ½ cup Salsa Rosada also called pink sauce or Salsa golf – (mayonnaise + ketchup)
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro – optional
• 2 hard-boiled eggs peeled
• 1 large avocado or 2 small ones
• Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish or decorating:

• Peruvian purple olives
• Additional shrimp, additional hard-boiled egg (chopped or sliced), and additional avocado slices
• Extra salsa rosada
• Chili pepper slices – optional and to taste

Instructions

• Wash the potatoes thoroughly, do not peel them. Place them in a large pot with plenty of water and boil them until they are tender. You will know that the potatoes are cooked when you poke them with a knife or it goes through easily. Remove them from the pot, let them cool down a bit and carefully peel them. Then cut them in half and mash them with a potato masher. You can use a potato ricer or even mash them carefully with a fork. It is very important that there are no lumps.
  
• Add the Aji Amarillo paste (start with a couple of tbs and taste as you mix and add more). Also add the half of the lemon juice to the mashed potatoes. Stir very well until the puree is smooth. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary, you can also add extra chili paste if you want.
  
• If you bought raw shrimp and need to cook them, you can prepare them by poaching them in a little water. My favorite method for cooking shrimp is to bring ~1 cup of water to a boil, which you can season with a clove of garlic, a little lemon juice, salt, and a sprig of cilantro. When boiling, put the raw shrimp in the water and lower the temperature to as low as possible. Cover and let the shrimp cook for about 5 minutes or until they are pink. You can stir them occasionally. You want them to be perfectly cooked without overcooking (because they become rubbery and chewy). When they are ready, I transfer them to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking.
  
• Peel the red onion and dice it or cut it into very small cubes. Also remove the veins and seeds from the red bell pepper, cut into long thin slices and then dice it finely.
• Chop the shrimp into small pieces. You can reserve some to decorate the top of the causas.
  
• Cut the hard-boiled eggs into slices, if you prefer you can also chop them into small cubes.
• To prepare the shrimp salad, in a medium sized bowl place the chopped shrimp, most of the pink sauce (save some to decorate the top of the causa), the diced red onion, the diced red pepper, and the chopped cilantro (if you want to use it). Mix everything together, Taste and add salt/pepper if necessary.
  
• To assemble the Peruvian causas you will need a round ring mold – or a square one if you prefer. If you don’t have a ring mold, you can use a large can of tomato paste, from which you remove the lid and base. You can also use a ramekin or small cake mold and line it with plastic wrap.
  
• Place the mold of your choice directly on the serving plate. Add about three or four tablespoons of mashed potatoes, and using a spoon flatten and compact the mixture.
  
• Peel the avocado and cut it into very thin slices. Sprinkle the slices with a few drops of lemon. Place a layer of avocado slices on top of the first layer of mashed potatoes.
  
• Another option is to mash the avocado and put a layer of mashed avocado in place of the avocado slices.
• Add about three tablespoons of shrimp salad on top of the avocados. Flatten and compact gently with a spoon.
  
• Then add the hard-boiled egg slices. You can change the order of the layers to your liking.
  
• Finally, add two tablespoons of mashed potatoes as the final layer, compacting by pressing down with a spoon.
  
• Carefully remove the mold and decorate the top of the causa with olives, whole shrimp, egg pieces or avocado. You can also add a little additional pink sauce on top of each causa.
  

Preparation photos for Peruvian Causa de Camaron:

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