Molho de Piri-Piri (Mozambican Piri-Piri Sauce)
Local name: Molho de piri-piri
In short: A bright, fiery sauce of small red chilies blended with garlic, lemon, vinegar and olive oil. Spooned onto grilled chicken, prawns, eggs and bread. It takes about 10 min in total and makes 16 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Resting
- 24 h
- Total
- 10 min
- Servings
- 16
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 55 kcal
Piri-piri sauce is the table condiment of Mozambique: small, fierce red chilies blended with garlic, lemon, vinegar, oil and salt. It goes on grilled chicken and prawns, into stews, over eggs and onto bread. Bottled versions exist, but the fresh sauce takes ten minutes and tastes brighter. Heat varies with the chilies, so taste a drop before you commit to a big spoonful.
Instructions
- Wearing gloves, roughly chop the chilies. Remove the seeds from half of them if you want a milder sauce.
- Blend the chilies, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and paprika in a small blender or food processor to a rough paste.
- With the machine running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream until the sauce is loose and slightly emulsified.
- Pour into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours so the flavors blend.
- Serve at room temperature in a small bowl, or use as a marinade or basting sauce for chicken and prawns.
Tips
- Use fresh small red chilies such as piri-piri or Thai bird chilies. For a milder, sweeter sauce, replace half of them with a roasted red pepper.
- Keep the sauce in the fridge and use it within 4 days. Because it contains raw garlic in oil, do not store it at room temperature, and freeze any extra.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between piri-piri and peri-peri?
They are different spellings of the same name for the small African bird's eye chili. Piri-piri is the usual Portuguese and Mozambican spelling.
How long does homemade piri-piri sauce keep?
Up to 4 days in a clean, covered jar in the fridge, because raw garlic in oil is not safe to keep longer. Freeze it in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.
How do you use piri-piri sauce?
As a table sauce, a marinade for chicken and prawns, a basting sauce on the grill, and a topping for eggs, sandwiches and soups.
How long does it take to make Molho de Piri-Piri (Mozambican Piri-Piri Sauce)?
About 10 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 0 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Molho de Piri-Piri (Mozambican Piri-Piri Sauce)?
About 55 kcal per serving, with 0 g of protein, 1 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 55 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Sodium | 150 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
