Peruvian Ceviche Recipe with Chifle Plantain Chips

Adapted from MAD LOVE by Devan Rajkumar

Peruvian Ceviche recipe brings together pristine white fish, bay scallops, and shrimp marinated in zesty leche de tigre with creamy evaporated milk, creating a dish that’s perfect for coastal dinner parties, summer entertaining, or elegant appetizers that transport guests to Lima’s ceviche stalls.

Featured on Global Street Eats and adapted from Devan Rajkumar’s MAD LOVE, this recipe combines aji amarillo heat, sweet potato crunch, silky avocado, and crispy chifle plantain chips for an authentic street food experience featuring seafood “cooked” entirely by lime juice in just minutes, served with iconic Peruvian garnishes that make every bite a balanced explosion of citrus, spice, salt, and crunch.

The Inspiration

Peruvian ceviche represents national pride—a 2,000-year-old Incan tradition elevated by Japanese immigrants in the 1980s with leche de tigre (tiger’s milk), the creamy citrus marinade that “cooks” seafood instantly while adding velvety richness. Lima’s cevicherías serve it daily from 11 AM sharp, with vendors racing to beachside stalls before fish quality fades. Devan Rajkumar honors this heritage on Global Street Eats, adapting his MAD LOVE recipe for home kitchens while preserving authentic aji amarillo heat, cancha crunch, and chifle plantain chips that transform simple seafood into coastal masterpiece. Ceviche isn’t raw fish salad—it’s engineered perfection where every component balances the last.

Ingredients

For the Leche De Tigre:

1 tbsp (14.8ml) aji Amarillo paste
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp (4.9ml) chopped ginger
½ stalk celery
1/8 red onion
1 ½ (360ml) cups fresh lime juice
2 tbsp (29.6ml) evaporated milk
1 ½ tsp (7.4ml) salt, plus extra to taste
2 oz best-quality white fish
2 sprigs cilantro, chopped

For the Ceviche:

1 cup (240ml) peeled and cubed sweet potato, in ½ inch cubes
8 oz best-quality white fish, diced
4 oz best-quality bay scallops, chopped
4 oz best-quality raw small shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
1 ½ tsp (7.4ml) salt, plus extra to taste
½ tsp (2.5ml) pepper
¼ large red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed under cold water (to remove pungency), for garnish
1 small avocado, peeled and diced, for garnish
Cancha (Peruvian corn nuts), for garnish

For the Plantain Chips:

1 green plantain
Neutral oil for frying such as vegetable or canola oil
Salt to taste

Method

Make the Leche De Tigre:

In a blender, combine all ingredients, except cilantro, and blend. Add cilantro and pulse several times. Season to taste with salt.

Make the Ceviche:

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add sweet potato and boil for 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine fish, scallops, shrimp, salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Pour in 1 cup leche de tigre and 2 ice cubes and mix well. Season to taste with salt and set aside for 5 minutes, until the exterior of the chopped fish is opaque.
To plate, spoon ceviche into a bowl. Garnish with sweet potato, red onion, avocado and cancha.

Make the Plantain Chips:

Slice the ends off the green plantain and slice lengthwise down the middle to help remove the green peel. Thinly slice the plantain lengthwise on a mandolin.
Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over high heat to 350 F (175 C). Working in batches, carefully add the plantain slices to the oil and fry until they have turned dark golden in color, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the plantain chips to a paper towel lined baking sheet and season with salt.
Serve ceviche with plantain chips for scooping up the fish.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Peruvian ceviche in chilled ceramic bowls with chifle plantain chips piled high on side plates for authentic Lima cevicheria presentation, perfect for coastal dinner parties, summer entertaining, or elegant appetizers where seafood artistry steals the show before main course arrives. Pair with ice-cold chicha morada (purple corn drink), Pisco sour, or Inca Kola to complement leche de tigre creaminess while cancha crunch demands second helpings, or create tasting platters with extra leche de tigre shot glasses for sipping alongside bites.

Family-style works beautifully: large platter with garnishes separated so guests customize spice levels, turning coastal masterpiece into interactive feast. Medium difficulty yields restaurant-quality results—ideal for impressing seafood lovers without day-long prep.

Final Thoughts

This Peruvian Ceviche recipe captures coastal perfection—pristine seafood transformed by leche de tigre alchemy into citrus-cured elegance, balanced by sweet potato crunch and shattering plantain chips. Devan Rajkumar’s Global Street Eats adaptation from MAD LOVE makes authentic cevicheria technique accessible while preserving the precision that elevates street food to art. The magic lives in timing: perfect 5-minute cure, ice-cold service, balanced garnishes create symphony where every element elevates the last. Whether hosting coastal dinner parties or introducing friends to proper Peruvian seafood, ceviche converts everyone instantly—proof that great cuisine balances simplicity and sophistication perfectly.

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