THURSDAY'S RECIPE: CasA's Peruvian Humitas - soft, aromatic, and with a heart of corn
- Chef Yerika
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Few things smell as quintessentially Peruvian as freshly cooked humitas: tender ground corn, lard or butter, melting fresh cheese, and fragrant leaves. Today I'm sharing my way of making them —soft, moist, and aromatic —with two variations (savory and sweet) and tips to ensure they turn out perfectly even if you can't find Andean corn.
A bit of history
Humitas travel with the Andes. They exist in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina, always centered around fresh corn wrapped in its own husks. In Peru, they appear in cookbooks dating back to the colonial era and in oral tradition long before that. On the northern coast and in the southern highlands, two varieties coexist: savory humitas (with cheese) and sweet humitas (with raisins and anise). Technically, tender kernels are ground, a dough is made with fat and dairy products, it's wrapped in corn husks, and then steamed.
Yield, time, and difficulty. Let's see:
Yields: 14–16 medium-sized humitas.
Active time: 45 min.
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes steam)
Difficulty: Medium (dough texture and assembly)
Ingredients (base for both versions)
For the dough
10–12 tender ears of corn (large cobs) – approx. 1.4–1.6 kg of kernels.
Substitute outside of Peru: 1.1–1.2 kg of fresh sweet corn + 150 g masa harina or 120 g fine corn semolina to give body
80g butter or lard (melted)
120 ml evaporated or whole milk (warm)
½ tsp fine salt (adjust at the end)
1/2 tsp baking powder (optional, for extra fluffiness)
Corn husks (husks) are well-washed and softened in hot water for 10 minutes
Substitute: banana leaves passed through a flame.
Savory filling (classic)
250–300 g of firm, fresh cheese in sticks.
1 yellow chili pepper , veins/seeds removed and finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp melted butter for brushing.
Sweet filling (northern style)
80–100 g brown or white sugar (adjust to taste)
1 tsp anise seeds (lightly crushed)
40g raisins soaked for 10 min.
1 tsp orange zest.
Pinch of salt.
THE TEAM YOU NEED
Blender or food processor.
Sieve (optional)
Tall pot with a rack or basket for steaming.
Kitchen twine or strips of corn husk.
Mise en place (why it works)
Very tender corn = moisture and aroma.
Fat + dairy make the dough rise and become silky.
Gentle steam cooking without drying out; should not boil vigorously.
A short rest at the end sets the texture.
Step-by-step preparation
1) Prepare leaves and grains
Carefully remove the husks from the corn cobs; reserve the whole husks. Wash and soften them in hot water for 10 minutes.
Remove the kernels from the corn. If using a substitute, weigh the corn and have the masa harina ready.
2) Grind and adjust texture
Blend the grains with the milk and melted butter until you get a thick cream.
Transfer to a bowl and season with salt; mix in the baking powder.
If you are working with sweet corn (not sweet corn), gradually incorporate flour until you obtain a thick but fluid dough (it falls in a ribbon, not liquid).
Correct point: when placing a spoonful, it maintains its shape and expands very little.
3) Assemble humitas
Savory version
On 2 crossed corn husks, put 2–3 tablespoons of dough.
Add a cheese stick and, if you like, some yellow chilli pepper. Cover with another spoonful of dough.
Wrap tightly, then tie with string or strips of corn husk. Brush with a little butter.
Sweet version
Mix into the base dough: sugar, anise, zest, sugar, anise, zest, and drained raisins.
Assemble the packages the same way (without cheese).
4) Steam
Place a layer of corn husks at the bottom of the pot, and add water without letting it touch the rack.
Arrange the humitas, cover and steam moderately for 45–55 min, and steam moderately for 45–55 min.
They'll be ready when the dough feels set and elastic to the touch. Let it rest for 10 minutes off the heat. , and steam role sauce (red onion, lemon, chilli pepper, cilantro)
Sweets: serve warm with chancaca honey or a touch of butter and cinnamon.
Variants and replacements
Andean with cheese and huacatay: mix the chopped huacatay leaves with the savory dough.
Creamy yellow chili: incorporate 1–2 tbsp of yellow chili paste into the dough; fill with fresh cheese.
Vegan: Use coconut oil or vegetable margarine , plant-based milk and fresh tofu filling or nothing.
Baked (party style): steam for 30 min, then finish in oven at 200°C for 8–10 min to brown edges.
Problems and solutions
Watery dough / spreads out: it lacked body. Add 1–2 tbsp of masa harina, mix, and let it hydrate for 5 min.
They're dry: there was too much steam, or they were cooked for too long. Lower the heat and control the water; brush with butter when finished.
Flat flavor: it has a hint of salt even in the sweet version; it enhances the flavors.
They open up when steamed: loose packages. Use two husks per humita and tie them tightly.
Chef's Tips
Leaf perfume: place corn husks on top of the humitas before covering; the aroma rises.
Creamy inside: don't overcook; when opened, they should look juicy, not dry.
Exact texture: if the corn is very tender, you will hardly need masa harina; if it is sweet and watery, you will.
Batch and serving: Keep warm by gently steaming for 40 min; reheat in steam for 8–10 min.
When there are humitas in the house, it smells like a hug. You don't need anything more than good corn, clean husks, and a quiet moment to make the little bundles; the steam does the rest.
Savory with cheese or sweet with anise, they're simple, make a lot, and are perfect for sharing with family or having on hand for the week. Give them a try this weekend: I promise you a soft, moist, and fragrant dough… and that "homemade" feeling that's always worth it.
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