Nobody does spice quite like the Yemenites, and schug is the “crown prince” of spicy condiments. It’s a fiery, garlicky, herby green sauce that adds a spicy kick to all kinds of foods. Throughout the years my schug recipe has become very popular with friends and family. I have simplified the process a bit, and also added a Passover modification for those who want to spice up their matzo balls... or what have you.
I have a huge cookbook library with lots of Middle Eastern cookbooks (several are vintage/out of print), and many of them contain recipes for schug– sometimes spelled skhug, zhug or s’hug. The preparations vary widely, but a few things remain constant– greens, garlic, spices and spicy peppers. Oh yes, my friends, this stuff will absolutely clear your sinuses. My husband is convinced that the longevity of the Yemenite people is directly tied to their regular intake of schug.
Schug is one of the most popular condiments in Yemenite Jewish cuisine. There are two types of schug– schug yarok (green) and schug adom (red). The green tends to be more common, so that’s the recipe I’ve shared here. If you’re interested in learning the red version, comment and let me know.
Schug is meant to be used sparingly, and the process of making it is not for the faint of heart. The scent alone burns… but it burns so good! I liken this to a fiery-strong Middle Eastern pesto. A very small portion packs a flavor wallop. Stir it into soups, stews or sauces, spread a little on a sandwich or warm pita bread, drizzle it on pasta, or serve it with grilled steak for an herby kick of flavor.
Recently I had a friend request schug for Passover, which challenged me to come up with a version that works for the holiday. Ashkenazi Jews who are avoiding kitniyot will not eat some of the spices in schug during the holiday. In the “Notes” section below I have provided some alternate ingredient suggestions.
This stuff is delicious in a “holy cow it burns” kind of way. Pepperheads, brace yourselves… prepare to meet your new favorite condiment.
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Schug
Ingredients
- 10 whole jalapeño peppers
- 2 cups chopped cilantro, or one bunch
- 2 cups chopped parsley, or one bunch
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 6 cardamom pods, or heaping 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- Pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
NOTES
Instructions
- Carefully stem and seed the jalapeño peppers. Wear gloves for this if possible; the peppers will leave a layer of capsaicin on your skin for 24-48 hours that can really make you miserable (your skin will feel burny and if you touch your eyes, they will burn badly). Best to wear gloves and avoid this misery! Discard the seeds and white pith, unless you REALLY love spicy flavors... then, reserve a few. I doubt you'll need them though.
- Remove the seeds from the cardamon pods and discard the green pods. If you don't have pods, substitute a heaping 1/4 tsp cardamom powder.
- Add the parsley to your food processor and roughly chop, then add the cilantro and roughly chop. Make sure it's rough, you don't want an herb puree here... bits, pieces and stems are fine at this point.
- Place the jalapeños, garlic, salt, cardamom seeds (or powder), caraway seeds, cumin, pepper and olive oil into the food processor.
- Pulse the mixture, scraping the sides periodically, until the whole thing begins to resemble a pesto-like consistency-- not super smooth, a little texture is good.Taste the mixture. Careful, it's hot! Add more salt to taste if needed (salt really makes the spicy flavors pop). If you want it hotter, you can blend in some additional jalapeño seeds. But seriously, it's plenty hot without the seeds. Add more olive oil for taste and texture, if desired.
- Keep it in a sealed jar or tupperware in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Check by smelling to ensure freshness. I don't recommend keeping longer than a week. Schug does freeze and defrost well; I often make a big batch and freeze in smaller 1/2 cup portions, which we thaw as needed.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
&n
I would love a red recipe for shug
Hi,
I have made the dip from a recipe in the Dorling Kindersley Mediterranean paleo diet and wanted to find out the origin of the unusual name.
Thank you for your detailed and personal anecdotes
Wishing you a happy and delicious 2019
Ros Horsley
I was in Israel this Summer….The food was amazing. I’m scrolling through your recipes as I do every Jewish Holiday before I decide what to cook and I saw your Schug and it reminded me I really loved the red Schug that I had almost everyday Israel! Do you have a recipe for it? Thanks so much! L’Shana Tova!
Margot
Hi Margot! I haven’t posted my red schug, but I do have an excellent recipe for harissa which is quite similar: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/harissa/
Hi there, I am obsessed with zhug, every time I go to Israel on my way back I always have several jars in my luggage. Having said that, I just made your recipe with just three changes, I used Serrano peppers, seeds and all, I added 1/4 tsp coriander and I used this big old granite mortar and pestle that I have to mash it all up, it came out, as they say in Israel, al ha-kefaq…..
This sauce is amazing-love making your recipes Tori, I feel like I can never go wrong! My jalapenos were not very spicy so I just added a little cayenne to spice it up a bit. I also made toum (wow!) and will serve these two sauces along with salad, fresh pita, and grilled chicken shawarma (recipe also from your site). I haven’t been this excited about dinner in awhile….planning next week’s food adventure already.
out of all the zhug recipes i’ve looked at since seeing Bon Appetit’s version on Twitter earlier, this one takes the cake — lots of garlic, hot peppers, caraway seeds, cilantro, and parsley. however, theirs had some ingredients that this recipe lacks — whole black peppercorns, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds, all of which are to be toasted along with the whole cardamom seeds and then ground with a mortar and pestle. i think i’ll throw the caraway seeds you suggest in that mix and toast ’em, then grind ’em in my mortar. the rest, i’ll let the food processor do. as for the peppers, you used jalapenos, which are A-OK by me, but if i have the choice, i prefer serranos, and usually unseeded. however, i know how hot zhug can be, so i’ll probably deseed at least 3/4 of them. BA’s recipe also includes lemon juice, which i think is a nice addition.
zhug AND toum — WOWSER! i want what YOU’RE having.
This sounds fantastic – except some people (including me) hate cilantro. It tastes like soap! It’s because of a genetic variation some of us have. Anyway, I usually substitute basil for cilantro. Would basil work here?
I would use a combination of basil and parsley rather than straight basil as a sub.
Can’t wait to make this. I am obsessed with szchug! I’m interested in the red version too please.
I love this recipe. I enjoy this post, and learning about its origins. I would love recipe for / to know about the red version, schug adom. Thanks!
Nice 2 read ur recipe …it is truly Indian inspired but we generally not used any kind of oil & try to make it in a stone kind of utensil which makes taste more delicious.
Ankita, this recipe is actually Yemenite in origin, although I am sure it is quite similar to recipes from India and other countries in this region. 🙂
Would love the recipe for the red adom. Trying my hand at sabich soon, and have been finding it difficult to find adom for it. Did you ever develop one?
This recipe sounds divine, and new to me. I am subscribing to your newsletter based on this recipe. Cardamon and cilantro together. Exciting!
Hola Tori! My bf is Jewish, and raves about this sauce. But, we’re not heat lovers (spice-wise).
How could the fire be toned down? Just less jalapeños?
Don’t want to alter taste.
Gracias.
Try half the amount of jalapeños, and no seeds at all– the heat is mostly from the seeds. 🙂 You can adjust up or down with the peppers to suit your tastes. Glad you like it!
You could use one of the varieties of jalapeno that pack little to know heat. I am not sure about the availability in your area but farmers markets may have them in the summer or grow your own
Delicious and fresh. Easy to make. Made half without cardamom and caraway seeds for spouse and it is delicious either way. Cardamom and caraway seeds make it exceptional! Thanks very much.
Absolutely love this sauce and recipe! Thank you! From an Asian foodie that loves heat and spices! I also have made this minus the caraway seeds(I didn’t have any!) and added lots of lemon- still delicious. And then made it with a little lemon n no caraway seeds as a sauce for sandwiches! Compliments all around. I’m not sure how long it keeps because it never lasts long. Thanks again!
Thank you! When I moved to the DC Metro area I realized that Persian cuisine had a delicious secret weapon–this sauce. I can’t wait to make it. It literally goes with everything.
As a heat lover who adds pure capsaicin to her dishes, those seeds are going to stay and a few drops of heat are going to be added. Thank you for such a clear and easy recipe.
Planning on making this tonight! I fell in love with schug from a local restaurant, but now that I have a food processor I want to make my own.
Do you remove the parsley and cilantro from the stems? I’m going to look for cardamom pods at the store tonight, but curious if you think they are mandatory? What sort of flavor do they add to the schug?
No need to remove stems. Cardamom is a must for authentic flavor! You only use the seeds. The flavor is hard to describe, it’s very distinct and unique.
Lovely recipe thank you. Palestinians make this too and your recipe reminds me of the the dressing they used to put on the Falafel in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Awesome recipes that come out right each time!
I just love your recipes, Tori. <3
I will definitely be making this I have a hard time removing seeds from peppers because I want the heat. Ten jalapenos pretty awesome. It sound similar to chimichuri from south America.
I made it once, it’s really good!