Zhoug (Spicy Cilantro Chili Sauce)
Zhoug is a spicy sauce of blended fresh cilantro, green chilis, olive oil and spices. It has its origins in Yemeni cuisine but it is popular throughout the Middle East.
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Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro stems are ok
- 1-3 jalapeño peppers roughly chopped (see notes)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- juice of 1 medium lemon about 2 tablespoons
- 1/3 -1/2 cup olive oil depending on how runny you'd like it
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to preference
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Instructions
- Add cilantro, peppers, garlic, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and lemon juice to a food processor. Process until everything is chopped evenly. (Check for large chunks of garlic.)
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary, then add in oil, pepper flakes and salt. Give it a taste and adjust to preference.
- Store in an airtight jar in the fridge. I'd imagine it would last for at least a week, I can't speak from experience since we eat ours so fast!
Notes
- For a mild zhoug: Use fewer jalapeños and remove the seeds and white ribs before adding. Also, skip the red pepper flakes. I don't recommend leaving the jalapeño out altogether, because it adds a lot of flavor! You can always just use a regular green bell pepper if you prefer no heat whatsoever.
- For a spicy zhoug: Use all 3 jalapeños and leave in the seeds and ribs. You can also experiment with adding different kinds of peppers, such as serranos.
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