Aji Chile Salsa Recipes

AJí (COLOMBIAN-STYLE FRESH SALSA)

Steps:

• Finely mince the cilantro, onion, scallions and chile by hand, or by roughly chopping, then pulsing in a food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Working directly in the medium bowl and using a flat palm to press the cut side of the tomato against the large holes of a box grater, grate the tomato until you're left with just the skin. (The skin should protect your hand from the grater.) Discard the skin.
• Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few tablespoons of water. Squeeze with lime juice to taste. Stir to combine. The ají should be quite thin in texture. Add more water as necessary. Taste and season with more salt, if desired. Finished ají can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

PERUVIAN AJI-STYLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place romaine lettuce, cilantro, green onions, mayonnaise, jalapeno peppers, garlic, salt, and black pepper into a blender; blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.

AJI (COLOMBIAN SALSA)

Steps:

• Combine tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeno pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Add olive oil, lime juice, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt; pulse until a coarse paste forms. Mix in green onions.

AJI CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• Soak 1/3 cup finely diced white onion in ice water 15 minutes; drain. Mix with 1/2 cup each finely diced tomato and chopped cilantro, 1 each seeded minced aji chile and garlic clove, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil. Thin with water. Season with salt.

AJí AMARILLO SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small pot, add 3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt and when it starts to boil, add the eggs and cook them for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water, and let them stand. When they are cold, remove the eggshell.
• For this step, you must wear gloves and mask because the ají amarillo is very spicy and tend to be irritating. First, cut the stem of the ají amarillo, discard them and then cut the ají amarillo in a transversal way. Remove the seeds with the help of a teaspoon, never with your fingers. Discard the seeds.
• Put the ají amarillo in water for a few minutes to lose excess spicy gas. Then, in a small pan, add the oil, garlic, ají amarillo and the whole bay leaf, stir them for a few minutes. When they are golden, remove them from the heat, and let them stand. Remove the bay leaf.
• In the blender, add roasted ají amarillo, eggs, mustard, vinegar, and milk cream. Blend a few minutes until you get a homogeneous mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste, beat a few more seconds.
• This sauce can be used as a dip or as a side dish of meats. Store the sauce in a clean, dry glass container inside the refrigerator.

AJI VERDE (SPICY PERUVIAN GREEN SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients. Blend until the cilantro has broken into very tiny pieces and the sauce is green and mostly smooth (no matter how long you blend it, it will still have some texture to it).
• Taste, and adjust if necessary. This sauce is intentionally bold and spicy and I usually think it's just right as written. However, if the flavor is too overwhelming, blend in 1 tablespoon of olive oil while running the food processor. If it's not spicy enough, add some of the reserved jalapeño seeds and blend again. If it doesn't have enough zip, add another tablespoon of lime juice and/or a pinch of salt.
• Aji verde keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.

SPICY AND VERSATILE AJI AMARILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Add the chopped onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, queso fresco, aji amarillo paste or sautéed pepper, ketchup, and lime juice into a food processor or blender.
• Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and chill until ready to serve.

AJI AMARILLO-PINEAPPLE SALSA

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand 2 hours, tossing occasionally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• *Available at Latin American markets.