ZHUG
Zhug (pronounced skhoog) is a Yemenite green hot sauce known for its kick. Its similar to chimichurri or salsa verde. Though bright and herbal from the cilantro, the sauce takes on richness and depth from ground spices—cumin, coriander, and cardamom. It's typically served with falafel or sabich sandwiches or atop of grilled meats or vegetables.
Ingredients
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2 cardamom pods
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1 teaspoon black peppercorns
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1 teaspoon coriander seeds
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½ teaspoon cumin seeds
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4 serrano chiles, finely chopped
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2 garlic cloves, chopped
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Kosher salt
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1 cup very finely chopped parsley
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¾ cup very finely chopped cilantro
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â…” cup extra-virgin olive oil
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4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Prepared Ingredients
Directions
Step 1
Use a mortar and pestle to remove seeds from Cardamom pod. (alternatively, you can use a hammer or meat beater to a mortar and pestle)
Step 2
Toast cardamom seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium-high heat, swirling often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer to a spice mill or mortar and pestle and let cool; finely grind. (Again, use a hammer if you don't have the mortar and pestle)
Step 4
Place chiles and garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and smash into a paste with the side of a chef’s knife. (Or use that mortar and pestle or hammer here too.) (The hammer wasn't working out for me so I ended up blending it in a magic bullet for a minute.)
Step 5
Transfer chile paste to a small bowl and work in spice mixture, parsley, cilantro, and oil; season with salt. Let sit 10 minutes for flavors to marry.
Step 6
Stir in lemon juice.
Enjoy!
Personal Review
It was my first time making Zhug and it was a little bit of work and the coloring and texture seems a little bit off. However, it tastes great! My housemates and I are going to make sliders with my homemade Zhug as the sauce!
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