Basbaas, Somali Green Chili Sauce
Basbaas is the green chili sauce that comes with a Somali meal, a raw blend of cilantro, hot green chilies, garlic, and lime spooned over everything from rice to beans to sambusa. It is sharp, herbal, and hot all at once, and it is what wakes up an otherwise gentle plate. Because it is never cooked, it stays vivid green and grassy, and the generous lime both seasons it and holds the color. Make it in the few minutes it takes to blend, and use it within a day or two while it is still bright.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cilantro, packed, stems and all
- 2 Serranos, stemmed
- 1/2 Bell peppers, green, chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 1/2 Limes, juiced
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seed, ground
Method
- Combine the cilantro, serranos, green pepper, garlic, lime juice, and cumin in a blender with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water. Include the cilantro stems, which hold as much flavor as the leaves and blend down smooth.
- Blend to a loose, pourable sauce, scraping down and adding water a spoonful at a time only as needed. Keep it raw and uncooked, since heat would dull the grassy, green character that is the whole point of basbaas.
- Taste and add more lime for sharpness or another serrano for heat. The lime is doing the seasoning here in place of salt, so lean into it until the sauce tastes bright rather than flat.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving so the garlic mellows into the herbs. Spoon over rice, beans, and stews. The acid keeps the color vivid for a couple of days in the fridge, after which it dulls.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 12 calories, 1 g protein, 1 g fiber, 8 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
