A clean, deeply savory Altiplano broth of carachi fish scented with muña, garlic and cumin. Native potatoes and black chuño complete this traditional Lake Titicaca dish. It is served piping hot, with the whole fish and its distinctive lake flavor at the center.
The night before, rinse the black chuño several times and soak it for 8 hours in about 20% of the water. When ready to cook, drain and rinse it again. Scrape and clean the carachi, removing the innards and any dark residue while keeping the fish intact.
Place about 45% of the water in a large pot with the chopped red onion, garlic, ground cumin,
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While the fish cooks, place the remaining 35% of the water in a medium pot with the native potatoes, soaked chuño, and remaining salt. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender without falling apart and the chuño is soft through the center. Drain the accompaniments.
Remove the visible muña with the slotted spoon and serve each portion with carachi, native potato, and black chuño. Ladle the broth piping hot around them or into a bowl alongside, preserving the Puno thimpo tradition. Eat the fish carefully because it retains fine bones. And that's it! Very few things in the pot, but every one of them speaks of Lake Titicaca. 🐟
