Szug ('pesto' from Yemen)

Submitted by Blue Peacock

"I found this in the Atlanta Journal Constitution several years ago. It is an interesting kind of 'pesto' due to the fact that it does not contain nuts, but does have chile peppers."

 

• Ready In: 15mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 32

ingredients

• 2 bunches cilantro
• 1 bunch parsley (preferably Italian)
• 4 -5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 serrano peppers or 4 Thai red chili peppers, stemmed
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil, plus extra if needed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1⁄2 lemon, juice of

directions

1. Cut and discard the visible, leafless stems from the cilantro and parsley.
2. Wash and pat dry.
3. Place the cilantro and parsley in a blender with the remaining ingredients.
4. Blend at low speed, stoppng often to smash down the ingredients as they combine.
5. Turn up speed and blend thoroughly.
6. Place in a storage container, taste and adjust salt, and top with a little oil as you would pesto.
7. This lasts for a month if stored in an airtight container.

Reviews

[snowsie]

Excellent - I decided to make this recipe after I tried a friend's szug at a Pesach Seder last week. Because his szug was made from a family recipe, my friend (understandably) refused to give me his recipe. I am very glad that I Googled "szug" and found this recipe. I did not have a food processor or blender, so it took me a very long time to make it. Anyhow, the recipe is very good! Yay for szug!