Sajta De Pollo
Ingredients
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- 16 ounces tunta (chuño blanco) – soaked overnight and rinsed (~22.5 medium tuntas)
- 3 1/2 pounds chicken, whole – cut into 8–10 pieces
- 2 each onion – 1 halved for broth; 1 thinly sliced (divided)
- 4 cloves garlic – 2 crushed for broth; 2 finely minced (divided)
- 2 each bay leaves
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes – peeled and cut into large chunks (~6.5 medium yellow potatos)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup ají amarillo paste
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- parsley – chopped (for serving)
- egg – hard-boiled and quartered (for serving)
- white rice – cooked (for serving)
Instructions
1. Cover the tunta (chuño blanco) with cold water and soak overnight; the next day rinse several times, then simmer in fresh water until tender, 20–30 minutes, and peel off any loosened skins. Keep warm.
2. Prepare the onion by halving one piece for the broth and thinly slicing the other for the sauce; peel the garlic, crushing 2 cloves for the broth and finely mincing 2 cloves for the sauce.
3. Put the chicken, whole into a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Add the halved onion, the crushed cloves, the bay leaves, and the kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim, and poach until the chicken is just cooked through and tender, 35–40 minutes. Lift the chicken out and set aside; strain and reserve the broth.
4. Add the yellow potatoes to the hot reserved broth and simmer until they are tender when pierced, 15–20 minutes. Lift out and keep warm; reserve about 3 cups of broth for the sauce.
5. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the reserved thinly sliced remainder and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, 8–10 minutes; stir in the minced cloves and cook 30 seconds. Add the ají amarillo paste, the ground cumin, the dried oregano, and the black pepper; fry, stirring, until fragrant and the oil tints orange, 3–4 minutes. Stir in 2 to 3 cups of the reserved broth to make a sauce and bring to a simmer.
6. Nestle the chicken pieces into the sauce and simmer, turning once or twice, until the sauce thickens to coat a spoon and the flavors meld, 10–15 minutes. Stir in the green peas and cook until bright and tender, 2–3 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
7. If the tunta has cooled, briefly warm it in its cooking water and drain well.
8. Serve the chicken and sauce with the yellow potatoes and tunta on each plate; sprinkle with parsley and add eggs and white rice alongside.
Sajta de Pollo is a beloved Bolivian chicken dish built on the sunny warmth of ají amarillo. Tender poached chicken simmers in a thick, savory sauce of onions, garlic, and toasted chili, yielding a gentle heat rather than sharp spice. It is typically partnered with both fresh potatoes and chuño (freeze‑dried Andean potatoes), with sweet green peas and a final flourish of hard‑boiled egg and herbs for color and balance.
Rooted in the high-altitude kitchens of La Paz and the Altiplano, sajta belongs to the wider Bolivian family of ají-based preparations. The use of chuño alongside new potatoes speaks to Andean preservation traditions and seasonal eating. Today, Sajta de Pollo appears at home tables and market stalls alike, especially around family gatherings, where its comforting sauce and plentiful accompaniments make it ideal for sharing.