Hilbeh - Fenugreek Relish
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
This recipe, from Greg Malouf’s book Moorish, is an unusual, tangy North African relish that resembles pesto with its pretty, bright green colour. It tastes completely different though, with a pleasant, slightly bitter aftertaste, which comes from the fenugreek seeds. Use it to accompany most North African dishes – tagines, mezze platters, soups and rice pilafs. It is also great with grilled or barbecued meats, fish and vegetables. The fenugreek seeds must be soaked a day in advance to remove their bitterness.
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons fenugreek seeds
250 ml water
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups coriander, leaves and stalks, chopped roughly
1–1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
juice of two lemons
2 teaspoons honey
3 small hot green chillies, stalks removed
2–3 tablespoons olive oil to seal the relish in the jars
METHOD
Lightly pound and crack the fenugreek seeds in a mortar and pestle. Soak in cold water overnight until a slight gelatinous coating appears on the seeds.
Drain off the water. Put the fenugreek in a food processor with the garlic and coriander and process to a coarse paste. Add the salt, lemon juice, honey and chillies. Process again to achieve a loose, spoonable consistency. Add a little water if need be. Spoon into jars and seal the surface with a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Refrigerate for up to 7 days. Makes 600 ml
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