Creamy Zhoug Sauce
Ingredients:
1–3 whole jalapenos, sliced
2 fat garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro, small stems ok
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon ( or whole, see notes)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/3 cup olive oil, more to desired consistency
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (Aleppo chili is nice), more to taste
Greek yogurt, plain
2 fat garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro, small stems ok
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon ( or whole, see notes)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/3 cup olive oil, more to desired consistency
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (Aleppo chili is nice), more to taste
Greek yogurt, plain
Directions:
Place all ingredients (except yogurt and oil) in a food processor and pulse until it’s uniformly chopped. Add oil and lemon juice. Process into a coarse paste. For a looser version, add a bit more oil.
Taste for salt and heat, adding more if necessary. Add chili flakes if you like.
Mix with yogurt to make a creamy dip. More yogurt will mellow out the heat, less will keep it extra spicy.
Taste for salt and heat, adding more if necessary. Add chili flakes if you like.
Mix with yogurt to make a creamy dip. More yogurt will mellow out the heat, less will keep it extra spicy.
Notes:
Feel free to use whole cardamon seeds, whole cumin seeds and peppercorns- toasting and grinding. Caraway seeds are a nice touch too. Jalapeños are not traditional, yet produce a very consistent and milder heat. You can swap them out for hotter chilies. Feel free to swap out the cilantro for flat-leaf parsley, or even fresh mint. You can also do a blend of all three! The cardamom is the star here, so make sure you use enough so you can taste it.
Use as a dip for samosas or crudités. Makes a great marinade for grilled chicken, fish, or other meats.
Use as a dip for samosas or crudités. Makes a great marinade for grilled chicken, fish, or other meats.