Red zhoug - schug | epicuriantime.com

Serves: 10

If they like it, it serves 10 otherwise

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Totaltime: 15 minutes
Additional info: Makes 1 cup

Originally from Yemen and Israel, this fiery hot sauce components are always from a variety of fresh chiles, herbs, and spices, and garlic. Use schug as a dipping sauce for toasted pita, falafel or as a marinade for kebobs. Red zhug, also known as Zhoug or schug is made with red peppers while green zhug is made with green peppers, or jalapeños.

Ingredients

Makes 1 cup

1 cup grapeseed oil
2 large red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded, cut into 8 pieces
8 red chiles stemmed and seeded, cut in half
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground green cardamom pods, with the husks
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 garlic minced cloves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons packed cilantro leaves, chopped

Preparation

Add the oil to a large sauté pan and place on the stove over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bell peppers and chiles and fry while continuously stirring for about 10 minutes, until the peppers start to blister and darken in color.

Remove the peppers and chiles from the oil, set aside, and let cool. Add the cooled fried peppers and chiles and the paprika, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, cumin, salt, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor and blend, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula when necessary, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarce puree. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool, then add the cilantro and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.