Zhug

Zhug is a long-time favourite chill recipe of mine.  I first came across it when I shared a flat in London in the 1970's with a Palestinian girl, although Zhug is actually a Yemeni recipe.  It is essentially a hot and spicy relish traditionally served as a dip for warm, fresh bread.  It is also used as a sauce for falafel, kebabs and grilled meats and added to soups, pasta sauces and stews.  You can even mix it with yoghurt for a dip for crudités. Traditionally it is made with fresh chillies but you could just as easily use re-constituted dried chillies.

There are many different versions of the recipe and you can easily alter the balance of ingredients to suit you own palette.  The heat will depend on the variety of chilli you use.  I have always used this one...

Serves 4

3 or 4 Fresh Green Chillies
1 Head of Garlic (peeled)
1 Large bunch of fresh Coriander
3 or 4 Cardamom Pods (you can remove the the outer green shell and just use the black seeds within)
1 Tablespoon of Caraway Seeds
Salt and Pepper

Either grind all ingredients in a mortar and pestle or blitz in a food processor then store in a covered jar.
Use sparingly as this is hot!

Other ingredients that you could throw in for a different flavour include; cumin seeds, cloves, parsley, and a little lemon juice.

Another milder relish called Hilbeh is often made by grinding or blitzing  a teaspoon or so of Zhug with a large fresh tomato and a couple of tablespoons of Fenugreek seeds.

Yummy!

If you wish to use any of our dried chillies in this recipe you could re-constitute them by simply covering them with boiling water, soaking for 15 minutes and draining.  Then simply use as you would fresh chillies.  Alternatively grind them to a powder using a Chilli Mill.

Ad Hoc Chilli Mill

Two of our best selling products and our personal favourites are the Ad Hoc Chilli Mill

and it's little sister the Voyage Mini Chilli Mill.

We came across the large mill earlier this year and instantly fell in love with it's eye-catching design and innovative technology.

The cutting mechanism has been specifically designed for dried chillies and consists of a series of discs that cuts the chillies, including their seeds, essentially shaving them into rough powder.  Those of you that have ever tried to grind chillies in a traditional pepper or salt mill will know that this is a frustrating task as the oil in the chillies is released when they are crushed, clogging up the mill and creating a soggy mess.  The Ad Hoc Chilli Mill quickly and easily creates a dry powder from any type of dried chilli that can then be used in cooking or sprinkled directly onto food.

The German stainless steel design is beautiful and features an elegant clear chilli-shaped acrylic chamber which provides an aesthetically pleasing view of the chillies inside making the large mill a sophisticated object that will add a touch of class to any kitchen or dining table.  The mill also features a small detachable catching tray beneath the cutting mechanism that captures the shavings should you not want to sprinkle them directly onto food.

Robust, easy to use, easy to clean and easy to fill and refill, the mills come with a 5 year warranty.

If you or someone you know loves your chilli and needs a ready supply of freshly ground chilli powder then this is the ideal product for you.  Any variety of dried chilli can be used in the mill.  You will find a range of dried chillies for sale on our web-site as well as a range of gift sets featuring both the large and small mills and various selections of dried chillies.  Any of these products would make the ideal gift  for the true chilli-lover.

The Voyage Mini Chilli Mill is a smaller version of the Chilli Mill that features the same design technology as the large mill without the chill-shaped acrylic chamber.  This mill is the perfect gift for the chilli-lover that likes to carry their chillies with them for adding to their food wherever they are.  Do you or someone you know always carry their own bottle of hot sauce or pot of crushed chilli with them?  If so, this is the ideal solution.

Do you grow your own chillies and have more than you can use?  Try drying them and using a Chilli Mill to create a steady supply of ground chilli from your own produce