It’s a very weird word Schug…How do you even pronounce it let alone spell it? Schkoog maybe. Anyway, call it what you want, it’s a wonderful fiery cilantro based Yemenite hot sauce that you can use to brighten up almost everything. If you are familiar with the commercial version – the little red and green jars, then think again. This quick and easy homemade version is a million times better –  a million times fresher and tastier.

It could be mistaken for a salsa verde – which essentially it is since it is a green sauce but it has a uniquely Middle Easter flavour from the coriander leaves, (cilantro), spices and green chillies.

What do you eat it with? Schug is like the wonderful harissa I’m hooked on  You can eat it with anything you like. It’s perfect with things like hummus and falafel but it’s also fantastic drizzled on a piece of bread and goats cheese or with served with grilled fish. Just make it and I promise you will find ways to use it.

 

Putting a small bowl of something like this on the table is guaranteed to satisfy any of those spice and chilli addicts, no matter what else you serve. And you can obviously control the heat by controlling the amount of seeds you put in and, of course, the variety of green chili. It doesn’t have to blow your head off.

It’s not always easy to know how hot a chile pepper is but one way is to smell it. You can often detect the heat through your nose. If that reveals nothing then you just have to gingerly try it, starting outside and work your way in – leaving the seeds to the very last. I usually cut the end off a chile and cautiously test with the tip of my tongue. If it’s hot, that will be enough to find out and won’t kill me in the process!

Schug

Ingredients

3 hot green chilis (with or without seeds depending on variety and your heat tolerance)

3  cloves garlic

Big handful of coriander leaves (cilantro)

Smaller handful of flat parsley leaves (optional)

1/3 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds ( I dry roast and grind mine)

Seeds from 3-4 cardamon pods –  ground

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper

Olive oil (approx 1/3 cup)

A squeeze of lemon

Method

• If you don’t want it very hot, carefully de-seed your chilis. Avoid touching the inside or put on latex gloves – especially if you wear contact lenses and are going to touch your eyes anytime soon.
• Simply blend all the ingredients together either in a pestle and mortar or  – much easier – with a hand blender. Whizz around till it forms a rough paste, adding olive oil as required. Adjust salt to taste. Salt brings out all the other flavours so don’t skimp.

And thats it. It takes all of 5 minutes to put together and a little goes a long way. Delicious…! And please let me know what you do with it.