Zhoug
A hot Yemeni green sauce of coriander, parsley, green chillies and garlic, warmed with toasted cumin and cardamom and sharpened with lemon.
makes 25 cubes, about 16p each
- Time
- 17 min15 min prep · 2 min cook
- Makes
- 25 cubes
- Cost per cubePer cube
- 16p
- Calories per cubeCalories
- 57 kcal
- A serving
- 1 cube
- Spice
Ingredients
- 4gcumin seeds
- 6cardamom pods, seeds only
- 2gblack peppercorns
- 100gfresh coriander, leaves and tender stalks
- 40gfresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves
- 5 (50g)green chillies, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves (25g)garlic
- 4gsalt
- 40mllemon juice
- 160mlextra virgin olive oil, plus extra to top
Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Nutrition
estimated| 1 cube | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 57 kcal |
| Protein | 0.3g |
| Carbs | 0.7g |
| Fat | 5.8g |
| Fibre | 0.3g |
| Salt | 0.16g |
Method
- Step 1: Toast the cumin seeds, cardamom seeds and peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium heat until fragrant. (1 min) Grind finely.
- Step 2: Pulse the coriander, parsley, chillies, garlic and salt in a food processor to a coarse paste, scraping down the sides.
- Step 3: Add the ground spices and lemon juice, then pulse in the oil to a loose, slightly rough sauce. Don't blitz it smooth.
- Step 4: Taste and add a little more salt or lemon if it needs it.
- Step 5: Spoon into 15ml trays, top each with a thin layer of oil and freeze.
Use it for
- 2 cubesStirred into Greek yoghurt as a dip
- 1 cubeSpooned over grilled chicken, lamb or halloumi
- 1 cubeIn falafel or shawarma wraps
- 1 cubeOver roast vegetables, chickpeas or shakshuka
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per cube | 57 | 0.3g | 0.7g | 5.8g | 0.3g | 0.16g |
Cook’s notes
- Thaw for 20 minutes at room temperature and stir, or drop straight onto hot food.
- Deseed half the chillies for a gentler sauce; leave them all in if you like it hot.
- The oil layer stops the herbs darkening.
- Always keep it frozen or in the fridge: garlic in oil must not sit at room temperature.
Use it for
- Stirred into Greek yoghurt as a dip · 2 cubes
- Spooned over grilled chicken, lamb or halloumi · 1 cube
- In falafel or shawarma wraps · 1 cube
- Over roast vegetables, chickpeas or shakshuka · 1 cube
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 15ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 6 months.
- Use from frozen
- Thaw for 20 minutes at room temperature and stir, or drop straight onto hot food. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
- A portion
- 1 cube is a serving: about 57 kcal.
Zhoug questions
Can I use ground spices?
Use ½ tsp ground cumin and ¼ tsp ground cardamom in place of the whole seeds, and skip the toasting. The sauce will be a little less fragrant.
How is it different from chimichurri?
Zhoug is mostly coriander, with green chilli heat and warm cumin and cardamom, and lemon for sharpness. Chimichurri is parsley and oregano with red wine vinegar, and much milder.
Can I make red zhoug?
Swap the green chillies for the same weight of red chillies and add 2g sweet paprika. Keep the herbs as they are; the sauce turns a rusty colour.
Freezer meals that go with it
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates.