Aji Amarillo paste is made out of Aji Amarillo chilies which is a commonly found condiment of the Peruvian area. These chilies are quite hot, almost equivalent to Tabasco or cayenne pepper or the cumari or Chinese pepper. It is widely available in mainstream supermarkets in dried, fresh, canned, powdered and pureed form. Many grocery stores tend to ignore these varieties of chile but it is widely available in ethnic markets and also on the internet. Aji Amarillo belongs to capsicum baccatum family of chiles and is commonly used in Peruvian food.
Taste of Aji Amarillo:
Aji Amarillo paste is native to South America and is made using a thick fleshed and bright orange chile which is medium to high spicy level. You will find it in almost all Peruvian cuisine ranging from soups to sauces. It is sought for its phylogeny and also for its unique flavor that has a lot of fruitiness for its heat. This fruitiness is quite different as compared to other chiles such as poblanos. You can consider it to be less harsh and sharp, more subtle and full bodied too. It is much more comforting and tastes like sunshine.
Various forms of aji Amarillo:
Aji Amarillo paste is minimally processed and it is widely available on online stores. This is a good alternative if you do not have dried or fresh form of the chile. You can find fresh aji Amarillo at some Mexican markets and also at Peruvian markets. It is available as a can too. If you are purchasing paste of aji Amarillo then you should purchase boiled and blended fresh chile. Most sauces that have aji Amarillo are called as paste instead of being mince. Pastes are an amazing time-saver if you want to add the taste of aji Amarillo to your recipe.
How to use?
Aji Amarillo is prepared into sauces either orange or green. The green one is used for dipping while the orange one is thickened with mayonnaise or dairy and some sort of bread and is ladled on poultry, meat, beans, starches, and veggies. You can compliment this chile with any meal without overwhelming it. Grounded and dried Aji Amarillo is a perfect option for cooking rice as it imparts vibrant color as well as sweet and rounded flavor to it. You can also try replacing other chilies with this one, just to try out a new taste. It will give a fruitier variation to your recipe. This chile tastes a lot different as compared to the regular capsicums. It has a versatile as well as inimitable and delicious taste.
How to prepare Aji Amarillo Paste?
The paste can be made in 25 minutes and serves 12 units.
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 lb fresh aji Amarillo chilies or cayenne pepper or dried aji mirasol chiles or cumari pepper or Tabasco peppers.
Directions to cook:
1. Boil the chilis of your choice in a saucepan with water. Let it boil for 5 minutes and then drain the water. Repeat this process 3 times.
2. Cut the seeds and devein chilies and then peel some of them to reduce the heat if required.
3. Blend the mixture with oil till the paste becomes creamy.
4. If you are using dried mirasol chile then you must add some water along with oil to get a creamy paste.
Ellen Ibbot lives in Miami and work full time as a freelance writer and editor. He has a number of websites and work for various clients in print and on the web. He is passionate about natural health, healthy eating and Information Technology, etc.