Caponata is normally a Sicilian dish. However, even within Italy are several local variations available. Depending on the available vegetables in the respective region, the ingredients differ. As Peru is known for its thousands of varieties of potatoes (papas) the Peruvian version comes clearly with them.

What you need for 6 servings of Caponata con papas:

  • 100 millilitres olive oil
  • 3 large aubergines, cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 9 potatoes
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 4 chopped shallots
  • 2 tablespoons capers (soaked if salted)
  • 50 grams raisins
  • 4 sliced celery sticks
  • 50 millilitres red wine vinegar
  • handful toasted pine nuts and basil leaves

Preparation:

Start with cooking the potatoes around 15-20 minutes in hot water until they are soft. At the same time, you can place a large saucepan over medium heat and pour the olive oil into it, to cook the aubergines 15-20 minutes until they are soft. Then remove them and add the shallots and cook them for about 5 minutes until they are translucent. As next step add the tomatoes and cook them slowly so that they break down and turn to a soft mush. After that, you can add the potatoes, capers, raisins, celery and vinegar. Season it well and cover it with a lid.
Now let it cook over low heat for 40 minutes until all vegetables are soft. Therefore stir gently so that it doesn’t break up too much. The stew should smell sweet and sour. In the meantime, you can peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces and keep them warm until the other vegetables are ready. Serve the Caponata with the potatoes as a side dish.  ¡Buen provecho!

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