Mimi introduced me to Schug which I have subsequently seen in our local market. Commonly called zhug, this is a spicy green condiment perfect for a mezze type meal.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Zhug ♥
A pestle and mortar
I have a large granite mortar that is perfect for making pesto, pistou, and zhug. The pestle is heavy and the key is to letting it do all the work. Zhug is a hot condiment originating in Yemeni cuisine. You will find it across the Arabian peninsula and it may be called schug like Mimi called it on her blog. The Yemeni term for this sauce is sahawiq that has its root it the Arabic s-h-q, which means to pestle. Hence the need for the mortar and pestle to make this.
Making zhug
The key is using fresh, hot chilli peppers such as jalapeños. To this, coriander , parsley and garlic are added. And then the options of seasonings including salt, cumin, caraway, cardamom and black pepper. Next comes the olive oil and lemon juice. It has the perfect balance of spiciness, which can be toned down with sweeter, red chillies. Other variations include the addition of cheese, sardines or tomatoes. If you find yourself at a felafel stand in Israel you will be asked if you want harif to go in your pita.
Keeping and using
I love trying new recipes, and Dave loves things spicy. So this seemed like a win-win situation. He could add some heat to dishes I prepare, and I could tick a box in my to do pile of recipes that looked interesting. I made the zhug in December and placed it into a sterilized glass jar, and put that into the fridge. It has kept amazingly well as you really only need a little to add to your dish. I have used it for fish tacos, to spice up pasta and eggs as well as with curries as a fresh condiment. The zhug made an appearance at our Christmas mezze feast which included meatballs and flatbreads. I love adding a little to my hummus just for some extra flavour.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Zhug ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Zhug
Ingredients
- 30 g coriander, roughly chopped
- 30 g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 10 jalapeño chilli peppers, seeds and pith removed
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 5 mls fine salt
- 2.5 mls ground cumin
- 1.25 mls ground coriander
- 1.25 mls ground cardamom
- 0.625 mls ground white pepper
- 60 mls olive oil
Method
- Place the coriander, parsley, jalapeños, garlic, salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cardamom and pepper into a blender and blitz
- Add the olive oil and blitz until you get a chunky texture
- Place into a sterilized glass jar, refrigerate and use as needed
Notes
See the links below for blog posts I published on April 9:
- 2021: Blueberry Frangipane
- 2018: Mushroom Powder
- 2017: Cross Kill
- 2015: Sugar Free Meringues
- 2014: Stocking A Pantry With Container Items
- 2013: Onion Tart Tatin
I love jalapenos and i love those other flavours. Thank goodness I don’t have that gene that can’t eat coriander! But I prefer curly parsley to flat leaf; it always tastes like lawn clippings to me :=)
And I think that curly parsley is more like lawn clippings – strange that 😉
Sounds fabulous! I’m going to make some of this. Thanks Tandy
Hope you enjoy this 🙂
Thanks for the shout out! If this is your first time making it I’m so happy for you! It’s just a magical condiment. Can’t wait to make it again this summer.
I am so glad I tried this 🙂
Hi Tandy, this sounds very good. I also like spicy.
This keeps really well, which is a good thing in our home 🙂
This is like Arabic/African version of Chimchurri. This is condiment packs a lot of flavor and heat. This can be used for so many dishes. Thanks for sharing.
Velva
It is really so similar 🙂
I’ve only had zhug once and it was way too hot and spicy for me. However, I do love all the flavors in your recipe and could probably make it and cut back on the chili’s . sounds delicious.
I have actually been using this one myself, and I am not a fan of anything too spicy 🙂