Chadon Beni Sauce

September 11, 2015

Chadon Beni Sauce - kvalifood.com

A Trinidadian green herb sauce built on chadon beni (culantro), blended raw with garlic, mild pepper, and lime. It is used as a condiment, dipping sauce, or topping for doubles, bake and shark, fried fish, and grilled meats. Do not confuse chadon beni with cilantro – they are related but not the same plant.

Makes ca. 250 ml

Ingredients

25 g packed chadon beni leaves (ca. 15 large leaves), tough stems removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pimento pepper (or seasoning pepper), seeded
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
60 ml water (or white vinegar, for a shelf-stable version)

Directions

Wash the chadon beni leaves thoroughly, paying attention to the undersides where grit collects. Remove any tough stems. Peel the garlic. Remove seeds and white pith from the pepper.
Add the chadon beni, garlic, pepper, lime juice, salt, and water or vinegar to a blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth. Add more liquid a tablespoon at a time if needed – less for a thick paste, more for a pourable sauce.
Taste and adjust salt.
Transfer to a clean jar. Refrigerate at least a few hours before serving for best flavour.

Notes

Water-based version keeps 1 week refrigerated or several months frozen. Vinegar-based version keeps 4-6 months at room temperature.
For a hotter sauce, use a scotch bonnet or habanero instead of pimento, or add one alongside the pimento.
Chadon beni is sometimes sold as culantro, recao, or shado beni. Cilantro is not the same thing and does not blend into a sauce the same way.
The sauce thickens slightly after resting. If too thick, stir in a small amount of water or lime juice.
Resting 24 hours before serving improves flavour.