What is Aji Colombiano? Which is the Colombian sauce?: The Colorful chopped Salsa. El Aji Colombiano.
What is Aji Colombiano? Which is the Colombian sauce?: The Colorful chopped Salsa. El Aji Colombiano.
“Ají Colombiano” (Colombian Aji) is a staple sauce in Colombian gastronomy. It is delicious to eat it with good creole or salty potatoes. It is also served to accompany stuffed potatoes, fried or boiled yucca, empanadas, soups, grilled meats, “pasteles” (pies) made of potato or yuca, arepas and “patacones” (fried green salty plantains). Young and old enjoy it alike!!
The "Aji colombiano" is a small sizes bell pepper. Lots of aromas, sweet and tangy. It looks like a chili, but it is not spicy. In general grocery stores you'll find a very similar product under the name "sweet peppers", "mini peppers" or "mini poivrons".
How is Colombian Aji sauce made? The Aji recipe.
This is quite
an easy-to-make recipe. The level of
difficulty to prepare this delicious Colombian sauce depends exclusively on
your skill with the knife, since the ingredients should not be blended. The
idea is that everything may be finely chopped, to achieve a result like the one
in the photo and when you see it - and savor it - transport you to any corner
or house in such a special South American Country where "the risk, is that
you want to stay"
Aji | 100% | 130g |
Cilantro | 12% | 15g |
Green onions | 38% | 50g |
Tomato | 54% | 70g |
Poblano pepper | 19% | 25g |
Lime juice | 28% | 36g |
Vinegar | 65% | 85g |
Salt | 4% | 5g |
Water | 77% | 100g |
How to prepare Colombian Aji?
1) After carefully
washing all the vegetables, let them dry. You can use a strainer or absorbent paper;
the idea is that they do not wither.
2) Set the vegetables and other ingredients, that is:
a.
Peel (or not) the
tomatoes -this is personal taste- The tomatoes must be ripe, but firm.
b.
Devein and extract the
seeds of the aji peppers and from the poblano pepper (remember to protect your hands or follow our Tips
for Handling Chili Peppers.
c.
Remove the finish from
the onions.
d. Squeeze the lemon juice, taking care not to squeeze excessively so as not to reach the inner white area, which causes it to become bitter.
3) Cut all the vegetables as finely as possible. In the case of cilantro, you can include the stems and in the case of onion, the green part as well.
The acidity level can be regulated with the amounts of vinegar and lemon
juice. As well as the intensity of piquant, with the type and amount of chili
you use.
What are we looking for in the Colombian Aji sauce?
The result must be in appearance a colorful chopped sauce. Regarding flavor, a well-balanced but tasteful sauce with a predominance flavor and aroma from the aji. As always -for both look and taste- the fresher the ingredients, the better.
Although it is a pickle sauce, vinegar based, this sauce should not have a tangy flavor nor hi acidity. On the contrary, it must be a refreshing sauce in both taste and look.
Trick and tips for authentic Colombian Salsa de Ají o simple Ají?
Pelling the tomatoes: deep the tomatoes in
boiling water for some 30 seconds. Retrieve, dry and it will be easier to peel.
TriChopped. chop each
ingredient separately. Go as small as possible. This will provide the rustic
texture but will keep colors separate.
Spicy, although it is not traditionally a spicy
sauce, add a spicy chili to taste. We like the poblano because of light no
perdurable flavor and aroma.
If available, use the cilantro roots. Yes, chop the roots as well.
It does make a huge difference.
Keep it fresh: fresher ingredients
the better, keep all ingredients as fresh as possible.
Keep it small, prepare often: don't
prepare to much ají sauce. It doesn’t last too long, since it is a mild pickle
sauce, so once the fermentation process starts, it will change the flavor.
Prepare small batches, consider cutting the ingredients amounts we explained above in half the amounts.
Enjoy this Colombian delightfulness with whatever you like the most, and learn first handed one of the
many reasons why the only risk in visiting this beautiful South American
Country, is to stay in it.
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