Zhoug is the Yemeni green chili and herb sauce that has spread through Israeli and Middle Eastern kitchens: cilantro, parsley, green chilies, garlic and warm spices. Like any really good condiment, it tends to take over whatever it is spooned on.
Zhoug is a Yemeni herb and chile sauce, bright green, sharp with cilantro and parsley, warmed with cumin and cardamom rather than the smoky chile-garlic profile of our own Molho Piri-Piri Caseiro (recipe on the site). Different spice cabinet, same instinct: a spicy, garlicky sauce built to go on absolutely everything.
A jar in the fridge is useful all week: dolloped onto eggs, grilled fish, roasted vegetables, anything that needs waking up. It is genuinely hot, so adjust the chilies to taste.
Zhoug Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 to 4 serrano or jalapeno peppers, seeded for less heat if desired
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the cilantro, parsley, peppers, and garlic in a food processor.
- Pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the cumin, cardamom, caraway if using, salt, and lemon juice.
- With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until you have a thick, spoonable sauce.
- Taste and adjust the salt, heat, and lemon to your liking.
- Transfer to a jar and top with a thin film of olive oil to help it keep.
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