Yemeni · sauce/condiment

Sahawiq Akhdar (Green Chilli, Coriander and Cardamom Relish)

Name: Sahawiq Akhdar (Green Chilli, Coriander and Cardamom Relish)
Prep time: 18 min
Total time: 1 h 18 min
Cuisine: Yemeni
Ingredients: green chilies — 150 g; coriander — 80 g; flat-leaf parsley — 30 g; garlic — 24 g; cardamom seeds — 5 g; cumin seeds — 5 g; black peppercorns — 3 g; caraway seeds — 3 g; salt — 7 g; olive oil — 41 g; lemon juice — 15 g

Sahawiq Akhdar (Green Chilli, Coriander and Cardamom Relish) reads citrus 5.5, sourness 4.9 and allium 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Yemeni sauce/condiment, about 1 hr 18 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 3.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 2.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 7.0 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 5.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 5.5 · Sourness 4.9 · Allium 4.4 · Warm Spice 4.1 · Richness 3.9 · Herbaceous 3.8 · Salinity 3.6 · Heat 3.3 · Floral 2.7 · Earthy 2.1 · Sweetness 1.8 · Umami 1.4 · Nutty 1.4 · Fruity 1.2 · Bitterness 1.2

What's in it (11)

green chilies — 150 g
coriander — 80 g
flat-leaf parsley — 30 g
garlic — 24 g
cardamom seeds — 5 g
cumin seeds — 5 g
black peppercorns — 3 g
caraway seeds — 3 g
salt — 7 g
olive oil — 41 g
lemon juice — 15 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 18 min (18 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 101.3 kcal, 4.3 g protein, 4.7 g fat, 19.1 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

Cardamom is what makes this Yemeni rather than generically hot, and it must be the green seeds prised from the pods and ground fresh — pre-ground cardamom has lost the eucalyptus note the relish is built on.
Toast the cumin, peppercorns and caraway in a dry pan over medium heat for 90 seconds, until they smell nutty but have not darkened. Add the cardamom seeds for the last 15 seconds only; they scorch fast.
Grind the toasted spices to a fine powder in a mortar or spice mill.
Pound the garlic with the salt in a large mortar to a smooth paste, about 2 minutes. A mortar gives a coarse, oily relish; a food processor gives a smoother, greener, wetter one, and both are made in Yemen.
Add the chillies a few at a time and pound them into the garlic, then work in the coriander and parsley in handfuls until you have a coarse dark-green paste. This takes about 10 minutes of steady work.
Stir in the ground spices, then the olive oil and lemon juice. Taste for salt. It should be hot enough to make you catch your breath, then aromatic behind the heat.
Rest 1 hour before using so the raw garlic edge softens. It keeps a week in the fridge under a film of oil, and is served with saltah, mandi, grilled fish, eggs and bread — in Yemen it is on the table at every meal.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Moroccan Tomato Soup — Moroccan
Crispy Spiced Okra Curry — Indian
Chana Masala with Basmati Rice — Indian
Zaalouk — Moroccan
Birria de Chivo Tatemada — Mexican · Jalisco

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.