Best Zhug Homemade Yemeni Salsa Recipes

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Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 10m

Yield About 2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 9

10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 to 8 jalapeños, seeded and sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
2 packed cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste

Steps:

Place garlic, jalapeño and lemon juice in a food processor or blender, and pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container with a spatula when necessary.
Add cilantro, cumin, cardamom or coriander, and pepper, and purée until smooth. With the motor running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil to form a homogeneous paste. Pulse in salt. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.
Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Use as a sauce for grilled or roasted meat or seafood, especially full-flavored fish like mackerel, tuna and salmon; spoon it over egg dishes like shakshuka and scrambled eggs; stir it into soups and stews; spread it on sandwiches, especially those filled with falafel, roasted vegetables, or mozzarella and tomato; swirl it into thick yogurt or hummus for a dip.

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Provided by Buckwheat Queen

Time 15m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 ounce flat-leaf parsley, stems removed
1 ounce fresh cilantro, stems removed
2 cloves garlic
¼ lemon, juiced and zested
3 green bird's eye chile peppers, stems removed
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 ice cubes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed

Steps:

Wash and dry the parsley and cilantro.
Combine parsley, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and zest, chiles, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, ice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor fitted with a blade. Blend until a smooth paste is achieved, adding more oil as necessary.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 59.3 calories, Carbohydrate 2.1 g, Fat 5.7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 0.5 g, SaturatedFat 0.8 g, Sodium 19.7 mg, Sugar 0.7 g

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Provided by Gabrielle Hamilton

Time 40m

Yield About 8 servings (1 generous cup)

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, extracted from about 10 cardamom pods
6 garlic cloves, smashed
4 serrano chiles, cut into very thin coins
1 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
3 tightly packed cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 1/2 tightly packed cups roughly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

In a small, dry pan, toast the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cardamom seeds over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until slightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the seeds to a large mortar and pestle, and pulverize into a coarse powder.
Add the garlic and chiles, and season evenly with kosher salt. Grind the mixture together until a tight paste forms, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add about 1/3 of the cilantro and parsley, and continue to pound together into a rough paste, another 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat two more times, adding the remaining cilantro and parsley in two batches, until the mixture is a slightly pulpy paste, 4 to 5 minutes.
Drizzle in the olive oil while constantly pounding and grinding together the herb mixture until you achieve a loose, homogeneous paste. Continue to mix until it has the consistency of applesauce, about 2 minutes. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving.