Yemenite Hot Sauce

Name: Yemenite Hot Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: Makes 1 cup, which will serve 6 to 8
Cuisine: Israel
Ingredients: 6 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and seeded (for a spicier zehug, leave the seeds in); 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons water, as needed; ½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley; 6 cloves garlic, peeled; ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper, or to taste

Zehug

Preparation info

Makes 1 cup, which will serve
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
5 min

Appears in

Healthy Jewish Cooking

By Steven Raichlen

Published 2000

About

This fiery condiment is Israel’s answer to salsa. Its popularity extends way beyond the Yemenite community. It’s enjoyed with a wide variety of dishes, from grilled chicken and seafood to breads. The recipe below gives you a green zehug. To make a red zehug, you’d use redjalapeños or Thai chilies.

Ingredients

6 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and seeded (for a spicier zehug, leave the seeds in)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
½

Asia
Israel
Condiment
Sauce
Raw
Vegan
Mediterranean
Gluten-free
Spicy

Method

In a food processor, finely chop the chilies, garlic, and cilantro. Add the lemon juice, water, cumin, salt, and pepper and grind to a smooth puree. (Add water as needed to obtain a pourable sauce.) Store the zehug in a glass jar, placing a piece of plastic wrap under the lid.