Aji Molido, or Pepper Sauce: The Spice of Peruvian Cooking
Posted on | March 21, 2010 | 8 Comments
Image by TravelingMan via Flickr
There’s been so much going on around here lately that I’ve kinda been slacking on recipes and cooking stuff. Well, that just won’t do for a blog that’s s’poseta be about what we’re eating! So let’s see if we can’t start making a little amends for that.
I read an article in the news today that said that a full 42% of tourists who come to Peru make their decision based at least in part on the food! That’s right – people are coming here just because everything is SO delicious! And one of the things that makes it so delicious is the wonderful spices used in cooking. The most important of the spices are the different kinds of aji (ah-HEE), or peppers, used to give the food heat and flavor. No matter what food is served, there’s always a little bowl, jar or bottle of liquified aji on the side. And today, I’m going to tell you how it’s made. Yay!
It takes about 12 aji (amarillo, panca or mirasol) to make one cup of aji molido.
Take your aji, and devein/deseed them.
Put them in a pot, cover with water and bring it to a boil.
When they’re soft (it doesn’t take long) take them out of the water and peel them.
Liquify in the blender – you can add a little of the water you used to boil them in to get the consistency right. Some people like to add a little oil for consistency instead of water.
This will last in the refrigerator for about 3 days. If you want to make a lot in advance, you can put it in ice cube trays and freeze it in single servings like that.
Finally – a lot of times when I put recipes on here, I tell people to check at their local Latin market for ingredients. But what if you live in a place where there isn’t a Latin market, or if you just aren’t able to find the ingredients you want? Amazon.com is your FRIEND! Check out some of the stuff I’ve found there:
Pasta de Aji Amarillo/Hot Yellow Pepper Paste
Aji Amarillo, Destemmed – 1 Lb Bag / Box Each
Salsa de Aji Panca/Panca Pepper Sauce
….among others. So, if you’ve had trouble finding ingredients for cooking up delicious Peruvian recipes, check out Amazon.com.
If you’d like to learn much more about the different types of aji and their uses, sign up for our newsletter and get the my free report “Cooking with Peruvian Aji”.
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8 Responses to “Aji Molido, or Pepper Sauce: The Spice of Peruvian Cooking”
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I got tired of life happening while I made other plans, so I quit my job and came to Peru. I live here with my Peruvian husband, two sons, three dogs and various other family members, depending on the weather.
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March 21st, 2010 @ 16:21
Hi Kelly..ive always tried your receipes,there simple to follow which i love
ive read your page lovely kitchen you have now , and great colours too,i love strong colours ….funny in Australia bright stong colours you wouldnt have,but here yes
How is your toe….how could you not fall in love with Chance hes adorable,he was probably waging his tail and thinking to himself geee whats all the fuss
Take care my friend
Rozzy
March 21st, 2010 @ 16:27
Hey Kelly.sorry my mail went under Anonymous
when i put my profile in for Rozzy ..under name , the mail would not go to you,it kept saying try again,,,i dont know what i was doing wrong….maybe i needed to use OpenID..i was using NAME/URL What does that mean jejejeje
March 21st, 2010 @ 17:19
Hey Rozzy!
I'm so glad to know that the recipes work for you – I don't use always use recipes for cooking myself, and just try to write down as close to possible as how I do it! I absolutely LOVE the kitchen the way it's being painted – it's about half way done now, I'm going to post before and after pics when it's all done.
And Chance was my grandparents' dog – I lived with them before I moved to Peru, and after they passed we brought him down here to live with me. He's a good ol' dog.
If you have a website of your own that you'd like people to visit, put your name in the Name spot, and then the website address in the URL – that way, people can click on your name to go to your website.
When will you be back in Peru?
April 15th, 2010 @ 18:23
Thanks for sharing, great site and keep it up. I will be back!
April 16th, 2010 @ 15:12
[...] 1/2 tsp white pepper (black will work fine, too) 1 tsp salt 1 cup finely chopped onion 3 tbsps aji amarillo molida* 3 hard boiled eggs 6 medium potatoes, boiled and sliced in rounds (Yukon Golds are perfect for [...]
November 10th, 2010 @ 11:43
[...] – Aji molido, or aji paste, one of the secrets to authentic Peruvian [...]
November 12th, 2010 @ 13:58
Do you have the recipes for Lomo Saltado and Soupa Criolla? I lived in Ilo (Southern Peru) for 3 years from 1959 to 1962. Ilo is about 60 or so kilometers north of Tacna. I miss the cuisine.
Thank you,
Dennis
imatrvlr1´s last [type] ..The Many Evil Tentacles of George Soros – Traitor and-or Enemy of the US
November 12th, 2010 @ 18:51
I do have recipes for both of those – just type it in the search box up in the top right of the sidebar, and you should be able to find them easily!