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This story first appeared in Side Dish, a weekly newsletter. Subscribe at sidedishatlanta.com.

Authentic Peruvian cuisine is here in Atlanta – and you can make it at home. 

Tio Lucho’s opened earlier this summer, helmed by Chef Arnaldo Castillo of the Peruvian pop-up La Chingana and restaurateur Howard Hsu. The restaurant offers authentic Peruvian cuisine, inspired by Castillo’s time growing up in the cities of Lima and Piura. 

The entire menu at Tio Lucho’s is worth writing home about, but today Castillo is sharing a recipe for causa limeña with shrimp salad. According to Castillo, causa (which is Spanish for “the cause”) is a wartime Peruvian creation. When men were away fighting, women stayed at home and created this dish as a way to support their cause. Today, causa is one of Peru’s most iconic dishes. Tio Lucho’s does three variations of the dish: a “southern style” chicken salad version, a seasonal vegetarian version, and a tuna version with Nikkei (Peruvian/Japanese) flavors. 

Check out the full recipe below. A note from the chef: “Think of this as a Peruvian potato salad, you can do endless substitutions and use any seasonal ingredients to make up your own version. This is your template.”

1# Yukon gold potatoes 1# Purple potatoes (if available) 2 each ripe avocado 5  tomatoes  3-5 cherry radish 1 bunch parsley 5 limes 1-2 cups mayo (preferably Duke’s) 1/2# shrimp (21-25ct or jumbo, fresh or frozen work) (can substitute poached chicken, or canned tuna, or really any other protein) 1 jar aji amarillo Salt to taste

*Vegetarian: Replace mayo with a vegan or vegetarian friendly substitute. Replace shrimp with more tomato and avocado, or roast favorite veggies to add to the causa.

*Special tools needed: Potato ricer (can substitute with hands or fork, or masher), large plastic or metal bowl, small casserole pan (for family style serving).

Sammie Purcell is a staff writer for Reporter Newspapers. More by Sammie Purcell