Pili-pili is what hot chilli peppers are called in the Congo and also in the Swahili speaking region of Africa. Pili-pili ya kukaanga simply means fried chilli. .
If you like to add heat and bring some excitement to your meals, then this is going to be your new favourite condiment.
In this recipe, the chilli that I am using is the scotch bonnet and it has to be this type of chilli to get the best result. You can get these chillies in most supermarkets in the UK and most definitely in the open street market or African and Caribbean stores.
Let's make some hot sauce.
Ingredients Used:
👩🏾🍳 150ml oil.
👩🏾🍳 300g scotch bonnet.
👩🏾🍳 2 small shallots (onion).
👩🏾🍳 2 to 3 garlic cloves.
👩🏾🍳 1 teaspoon salt.
👩🏾🍳 Juice of 1 lemon.
Methods:
👩🏾🍳 Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic. Wash the chilli peppers, pat them dry with a paper towel then cut off the stem (the green tops) but leave the seeds and chop them roughly. You don’t need to be too precise when chopping as everything will be blended.
👩🏾🍳 It is very important that you protect your hands when handling chilli, either wear gloves or use a fork and a spoon . Avoid touching your face while dealing with the not chillies.
👩🏾🍳 Add all the chopped ingredients into the food processor. Using the pulse option, pulse until everything is blended but still have texture.
👩🏾🍳 Add the oil to the pan, place the pan on a medium heat, pour your blended chilli mixture and fry for about 10 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the oil starts to come out.
👩🏾🍳 Once it is all done frying, season with salt and add in the lemon juice. Mix well then allow to cool completely before storing.
👩🏾🍳 Store the homemade pili-pili in a glass jar for up to1 month in the fridge and for up to 4 months in the freezer. while in the fridge, if it begins to taste sour or mouldy in any way (or if you can see signs of mould), then discard of it.
🧡 Happy cooking. Please share and invite other foodies to come join us. 🧡