One can find several versions of this hot and spicy relish recipe in any Israeli street-food cookbook. It can go by Zhoug or Zug. It can be used as a condiment for just about anything. I love it on olive oil cooked fried eggs. You can adjust the heat by removing some or all of the seeds and ribs from the peppers. I like to use red hot finger peppers which, when blended with cilantro, looks like a Christmas tree ornament – but any kind of hot pepper will work just fine.
Anytime I feel a cold coming on I make up a batch of this stuff and it always makes me feel better. Make it in small batches as it loses its punch within a day or so. I like mine reeking with cumin but you can scale that back if you want. A pinch of ground coriander adds a sort of
flowery-citrus spin to the relish which I don’t particularly care for – but you might.
Ingredients
6 – 8 red hot finger peppers (or any hot pepper of your choice)
A handful of Cilantro (about 1 cup)
1 Tablespoon of ground cumin
2 whole garlic cloves (peeled)
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon of ground coriander (optional)
1 teaspoon of water
To Make the Zhoug
First… go and pee. Always pee before you take on the task of working with hot peppers… trust me. And wash your hands!
Now, with a sharp knife, remove the top stems of the peppers – then slice them down the middle. If you want to reduce the heat in the peppers take a teaspoon and run it down the center of the peppers to scoop out most of the seeds and ribs. If you don’t want to reduce the heat then don’t do that.
Cut the hot peppers into ½ inch segments and toss them into a whirlygig. Pile all the other ingredients on top of the peppers. Put the lid on and pulse intermittently, about three or four times, until blended like a course relish.
Get out a rubber spatula. Squeegee out the Zhoug from the whirlygig into a small serving bowl . Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Serves 4. My cost – approx. $ 3.65 or about 90 cents per serving.