Sahawiq Ahmar (Yemeni Fresh Tomato Salsa)
Prep 10 min Total 10 min
Sahawiq Ahmar (Yemeni Fresh Tomato Salsa) - kvalifood.com
A quick Yemeni salsa of ripe tomatoes pounded with green chillies, garlic, cumin, and cilantro. Traditionally made in a stone mortar and eaten within hours.
Serve it alongside grilled meats, flatbread, rice dishes, or saltah. It is an everyday table condiment in Yemeni households.
Makes ca. 1 cup / serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe red tomatoes (~260 g)
- 2 fresh green chillies (~30 g), stems removed
- 2 garlic cloves (~10 g)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/4 tsp ground cumin)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
If using cumin seeds, toast them briefly in a dry pan, then crush roughly in a mortar.
Cut the tomatoes into rough chunks. Slice the chillies in half (keep seeds for more heat, remove for less).
Pound the garlic, salt, and cumin together in a mortar until broken down into a rough paste. Add the chillies and pound until crushed but chunky. Add the tomato and pound just until combined – the texture should be coarse and uneven.
Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust.
Notes
- Does not keep. Make only what you will eat in one sitting.
- Heat depends on the chillies used. Bird’s eye makes it very hot; milder long green chillies give a gentler burn.
See Also
Salsa Baladi (Egyptian Koshari Tomato Sauce)
Dibs Rumman Dressing (Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette)
Preserved Lemon Paste
Bisbas Ahmar (Adeni Dried Chilli Paste)
