Zhoug, Yemeni Green Chile and Herb Sauce
Zhoug is the fierce green chile sauce Yemeni Jews carried to the Levant, where it now sits on falafel, in soups, and beside nearly anything that needs waking up. It is mostly chile and herbs, but the toasted cumin, coriander, and cardamom are what make it unmistakable rather than just hot. Most recipes bind it with oil; a little water and lemon loosen it just as well and let the raw green flavor come through. It keeps for a week in the fridge and freezes in spoonfuls. Start with fewer chiles and work up, since heat is the whole point but easy to overshoot.
Ingredients
- 4 wholes Serrano, stemmed
- 2 cups Cilantro, packed, with stems
- 1/2 cup Flat-leaf parsley, packed
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin seed, toasted and ground
- 1 tsp Coriander seed, toasted and ground
- 4 pods Green cardamom, seeds ground
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
Method
- Toast the cumin, coriander, and cardamom seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind them. That warm, toasted spice base is what separates zhoug from a plain blitzed herb sauce; the cardamom especially is its signature.
- Pound or pulse the chiles and garlic first, to a rough paste. Starting with the firm ingredients means they break down before the soft herbs turn to mush.
- Add the cilantro, its stems included for flavor, and the parsley, and pulse to a coarse green paste. Stop while it still has texture; zhoug is a rough sauce, not a smooth puree.
- Loosen with the lemon juice and a few tablespoons of water to a spoonable consistency. Oil is traditional, but water plus the herbs' own moisture carries it, and the heat and acid do the seasoning work salt usually would.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 30 calories, 1 g protein, 1 g fiber, 10 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.
