Hot sauce
Aji limón hot sauce
Aji Limón, also called Lemon Drop, is a Peruvian chilli with a clean, citrusy flavour and a good hit of heat. This simple sauce keeps things bright with lime, garlic and a little carrot for body and colour. Try it on fish, chicken, eggs and avocado toast.
The pods ripen from green to a vivid lemon yellow. Pick them fully yellow for the best flavour.
- Prep 10 min
- Cook 10 min
- Total 20 min
- Makes about 350 ml
Ingredients
- 150 g ripe Aji Limón chillies, stems removed
- 1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 180 ml white vinegar
- 60 ml water
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Method
-
Step 1
Simmer
Put everything except the lime juice in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, until the carrot is soft.
-
Step 2
Blend
Cool slightly, then blend until very smooth. Keep your face away from the lid, as the steam stings.
-
Step 3
Finish
Stir in the lime juice and adjust the salt. For a smoother sauce, push it through a sieve.
-
Step 4
Bottle
Pour into a sterilised bottle and keep in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Grow your own
The chillies in this recipe are easy to grow from seed in New Zealand.
