This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

ADVERTISEMENT

This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Instant Pot

Peruvian Quinoa Stew with Queso Fresco

4-6 Servings

FAST: 1 hour 10 minutes
Slow: 4½ to 5½ hours 30 minutes active

Made This Recipe? Write a Review.
Thank you for submitting your review! A member of our team is confirming the review meets our site's Community Guidelines. It will be posted on the site shortly.

The Peruvian quinoa stew called quinua atamalada is thick and hearty and typically seasoned with aji amarillo, a yellow-orange chili widely used in Peruvian cuisine. For our version, we approximated aji amarillo’s flavor by using a yellow bell pepper plus a habanero. The habanero provides only subtle heat because the pod is merely cut in half, not minced, but if you wish to minimize spiciness, remove the seeds from the chili halves. Queso fresco is a salty, milky Mexican cheese with a firm, slightly crumbly texture; its savoriness contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the vegetables and lends the stew a delicious richness. If you like, garnish with finely chopped onion tossed with fresh lime juice.

4-6

Servings

Tip

Don't undercook the onion and tomato mixture. The goal is to evaporate the moisture and create a concentrated flavor base for seasoning the stew.

FAST: 1 hour 10 minutes
Slow: 4½ to 5½ hours

30 minutes active

Ingredients

  • 3

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Directions

Reviews
Jon S.
July 9, 2023
Such A Nice Surprise!
Made this for guests and we all loved it. A nice bit of heat stuck around from the discarded habanero. Might have to adjust the amount of water added near the end when making on the stovetop, but it was really nice as more of a stew than a soup.
Thomas F.

Good flavor. It turned out more like a soup than a stew for me though.

Alan P.

Two cups of water seems like a lot to stir in at the very end. Is that the correct amount?

Lynn C.

Hi Alan -

The two cups of water gets stirred in before sealing the Instant Pot and pressure cooking. The quinoa will absorb most of that liquid.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Alan P.

That's in step 1, but in step two it says to "stir in 2 cups water and re-cover without locking the lid in place, then let stand for 5 minutes." I'm guessing this was a mistake.

Lynn C.

Hi Alan -

Yes, sorry, that 2 cups of water is to make the mixture more soupy and stew-like. The water that is added during pressure cooked is mostly absorbed by the quinoa.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Lynn C.

Hi Alan -

Yes, sorry, that 2 cups of water is to make the mixture more soupy and stew-like. The water that is added during pressure cooked is mostly absorbed by the quinoa.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Alan P.

That's in step 1, but in step two it says to "stir in 2 cups water and re-cover without locking the lid in place, then let stand for 5 minutes." I'm guessing this was a mistake.

Lynn C.

Hi Alan -

Yes, sorry, that 2 cups of water is to make the mixture more soupy and stew-like. The water that is added during pressure cooked is mostly absorbed by the quinoa.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Lynn C.

Hi Alan -

Yes, sorry, that 2 cups of water is to make the mixture more soupy and stew-like. The water that is added during pressure cooked is mostly absorbed by the quinoa.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Lori L.

This was so easy to make and tasted incredibly delicious. I have marked it as a favorite.


ADVERTISEMENT