Let’s start by answering two questions. 1. What is it? 2. How do you say it? These might seem like two very simple questions but they are very important! First, aji is a traditional Ecuadorian “hot” sauce. Notice how I use quotation marks here. The thing is, ají can be very hot or not at all. It all depends on how many hot peppers you use. But no matter how hot it is, it’ll always be part of many Ecuadorian dishes. If you are having green plantain or morocho empanadas you will have them with ají. If you are eating locro (potato soup) or other soups, you will also have them with ají. Any restaurant that serves local food in Ecuador will have its own version of ají. The main components are usually the same: hot peppers, onion, cilantro, and more. You will get it as a side or as a condiment for everyone at the table, so don’t panic, it does not mean that all your food will be hot.
Now, let’s go to our second question: How do you pronounce it? If you speak Spanish you are all set and you know why I am bringing this up! If you speak or know some Hebrew that will also help you, if you only speak English you’ll learn about some language differences here. If you are a monolingual English speaker, your go-to will be to pronounce letter “j” as in “jet”. Makes total sense! that is the sound of “j” in English, but in Spanish letter “j” sounds more like an “h”. In Hebrew, you would use a chet to make the sound of the Spanish “j”. Sooooo… let’s bring it all together (recap)! Ají would be pronounced as “a-hee” in English or as the word אחי (achee) in Hebrew. But no matter how you pronounce it, here is the Ecuadorian hot sauce I grew up with. Go try it, it’s great!
Ingredients
- 1 tree tomato or tamarillo
- 2-4 red hot peppers (chili peppers) veins and seeds removed (quantity depends on how hot you like it)
- half a red onion julienne
- juice from 2 lemons
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1-2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Directions
1. In a bowl place the julienne red onion with the juice of two lemons, 1/4 cup hot water, and 2 tsp salt. Mix and set aside.
2. Remove the seeds and veins from 2-4 red hot peppers.
3. Place the tamarillo with the veinless, seedless, peppers in a pot with water until it boils.
4. Remove them from the pot, peel the tamarillo and place it with the hot peppers and the cold water in a blender or food processor.
5. Blend until you obtain a liquid. Strain.
6. Remove the onions from the lemon mixture and put them into the previously strained mixture. Mix with a spoon.
7. Add cilantro and mix one more time (with a spoon).
6. Enjoy!
Kosher Latina 