Fabulously flavoursome but also expensive so what’s a girl to do when she’s found out this stuff is great with just about anything? Yep, try making her own! My initial attempt was only suitable for those with a flame retardant tongue! This is my revised recipe – I’ve halved the number of those wicked bird-eye chillies but you could use milder, green chillies if you prefer. I love this with roasted broccoli or grilled aubergine but it would also be great with white fish, prawns and simple chicken dishes.
| 31g packet coriander, washed & dried | ¼ tsp. ground cloves |
| ½ of 28g packet mint, washed & dried | 8 cardamom pods, seeds removed |
| ½ of 28g packet of parsley | 65 ml olive oil |
| 2 bird-eye chillies, de-seeded and sliced | ¼ tsp. salt |
| 2 fat cloves garlic, crushed | 1 Medjool date, stone removed & sliced |
| ½ tsp. ground cumin | 1 tsp. white wine vinegar |
| ½ tsp. ground coriander | Freshly ground black pepper |
Wash the herbs in advance so they are dry. Remove tough stalks from the herbs and roughly chop using a Mezzaluna, then prepare all the other ingredients. If you don’t own a pestle & mortar then the end of a rolling pin or a coffee grinder will be the best way to crush the cardamom seeds. Add the chilli, date, garlic, spices, salt and half the oil to a blender and blitz for around a minute. Then add the herbs, vinegar and remaining oil and blend a little more. I prefer a course-textured paste with thick consistency. Add more oil and blitz for longer if you prefer a smoother end result.
