My father's long lost Aji recipe finds its way back to me and now to you. Enjoy!
I remember watching my dad make Aji when I was a little girl. This is one of the few hot sauces most Colombians will eat or tolerate. So when it came time to eat empanadas (wonderfully crisp cornmeal encased ground meat and potato deep fried “turnovers”) or soup, my dad always added a spoonful or two of Aji to take things to the next spicy, flavourful level.
So without further ado, here’s a recipe of my dad’s famous Aji, which was lovingly kept by our family friend Luz Amparo Sevick in Miami, Florida and who has brought back a culinary treasure to my life. Thanks Amparo- this is like an early Christmas to me!
Aji- Homemade Colombian Hot Sauce Recipe
Recipe from Jorge Mejia
Ingredients:
- One bunch of green onions cut in half
- I red pepper
- I large bunch of fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 yellow lemon
- Hot peppers to taste (jalapeno or bird’s eye)
- Salt to taste
- 1 level tablespoon of cumin seeds
- Vinegar
- Note: You should have roughly the same amount of green onion and cilantro for this recipe.
Method of Preparation:
- Wash all ingredients right before using (so that your aji lasts for years according to my dad- an exaggeration to be sure, but meant in good fun all the same) and dry completely before using.
- Mince the onion and cilantro finely, chop the peppers and add to blender with a little bit of vinegar and blend. Add lemon, cumin and salt along with the onion. Pour into a glass jar that’s been completely sterilized (boiled in hot water and thoroughly dried) and top up with vinegar. It will keep in the fridge for weeks.
This sauce is also great served with grilled meats or chicken or as a spicy condiment to any of your favourite Latin-inspired foods.
