Green shatta – Middle Eastern green chili pastefeatured

This spicy, herbaceous green shatta is one of the condiments I like to always have in my fridge. It’s hot, but it’s also flavourful, fresh and complex.

As a topping, it goes well on pretty much everything- sandwiches, beans, and especially grilled meats and fish. As an ingredient, you can toss it into salad dressings, stews, marinades or any other dish that needs some herbs and spice.

It takes mere minutes to make, and will keep in the fridge for weeks.

So, make a big batch and see how many ways you can enjoy it!

What is shatta?

Shatta is a chili paste commonly consumed throughout Egypt and the Levant. It can be green or red.

At it’s most basic, it consists of pounded hot peppers and oil. It may or may not contain vinegar. It can also contain additional elements like garlic, spices, or herbs and is as such, endlessly customizable.

Shatta can also be either fermented, or not. Fermenting takes some patience, but helps to yield more complex flavours. If you want to try your hand at a fermented version, I love fermented red shatta recipe by Palestinian chef Abeer Najjar, which reminds me of the red shatta that was most present in the kitchen when I was growing up. I love to have a jar of it in the fridge beside my green shatta.

This version is not fermented. It will come together in a few minutes. It incorporates a lot of elements in addition to the chilis and oil- garlic, spices, cilantro and parsley- reminiscent of a fiery chimichurri. This is a combo that I love.

Using green shatta

This shatta is a great staple to keep on hand in your fridge, because it is both a condiment and an ingredient. If you love heat, you can find use for it daily.

It great on sandwiches or this hawawshi (Egyptian meat-stuffed pita), on bean dishes like ful medammes or hummus, and on stews and grilled meats.

As an ingredient, I love to toss some into salad dressings or directly into my salata baladi (Egyptian salad). I also toss some into my meat and poultry marinades, and into my sauces, soups and stews on the stove.

Making green shatta

This shatta recipe comes together in mere minutes and lasts for weeks.

Since its a green shatta you can choose from a variety of hot green peppers, like thai green chilis, serranos or jalapenos. Here I’ve used serranos, but any of the above will work, or try your own favourite chili!

You can also customize the heat level of your green shatta as you like. Increase the heat by adding more peppers, or decrease it by removing the ribs and seeds of the peppers before processing.

Just wash and trim your fresh ingredients, then blitz in a food processor along with your spices and a little olive oil.

If you don’t have a food processor this can also be done in a mortar and pestle, but will of course take more time. Both tools are ones I use daily in my kitchen. When I’m looking to streamline my food prep, I use this food processor. And when I’m looking to slow down and do things the traditional way, I’ll pull out either this mortar and pestle, or my big trusty Mexican molcajete (affiliate links).

You can leave your shatta on the chunkier side, or blend until fully smooth, whatever you prefer.

Then simply add to a tight sealing jar, cover with more olive oil, and transfer to your fridge.

Let me know in the comments how you use your green shatta!

Print Recipe

Green shatta – MIddle Eastern hot chili paste

A fiercely spicy and herbaceous condiment. Its delicious on grilled meats and fish, hummus, ful medames, and pretty much everything else!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: seasoning

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: cilantro, hot sauce, spicy

Equipment

• Food processor

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro leaves and soft stems
• 1/2 bunch parsley leaves and soft stems
• 6-8 serrano peppers remove seeds and ribs if you want a milder shatta
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling

Instructions

• Toss all ingredients in food processor, pulse a few times until broken up, then process until you get a chunky paste, making sure to scrape down the sides a few times to get everything incorporated.
• Transfer to a mason or other jar with tight-fitting lid, pour on more olive oil to cover, and refrigerate.

Notes

Will keep for at least a month in refrigerator.