Growing up in an Ecuadorian household one of the condiments we would see at family parties was aji de tomate de arbol.
At an early age, I didn’t care much for it as it was too spicy.
As my palette refined over time, I began noticing subtleties in aji and how it contributed to the experience of an Ecuadorian meal; or any meal, if I’m being honest.
So much so, I get super excited to tell fans of spicy food what sort of flavor they can expect when consuming aji.
That said, I’ve grown to love and appreciate aji as a staple of Ecuadorian meals.
I’m happy to share with you how I prepare aji de tomate de arbol.
What is Aji de Tomate de Arbol?
Aji de tomate de arbol is an Ecuadorian hot sauce, made out of tamarillo, hot peppers, onions, cilantro and lime juice.
The word “aji” is used to reference the pepper used in the sauce but it can also refer to the sauce entirely.
A core ingredient in aji de tomate de arbol is tamarillo, or tree tomato, an oval-shaped fruit native to South America and in sub-tropic regions of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Columbia.
Although tree tomatoes can be tart, when mixed with other aji ingredients, it can turn the sauce into a savory condiment among Ecuadorian dishes.
Another major ingredient to aji is the “aji amarillo” or “yellow pepper”. The aji amarillo is what gives the aji sauce its spicy kick and is classified as semi-hot, ranging 30,000-50,000 SHU on the Scoville scale, a scale measuring how spicy a pepper is.
Despite aji amarillo being semi-spicy, those preparing the sauce can tone down spiciness by stripping away the seeds found within the pepper.
How Aji de Tomate de Arbol Tastes
This is where the fun starts.
For me, aji de tomate de arbol isn’t like your average hot sauce.
While most hot sauces are meant to feel fiery and spicy, with the use of garlic, onion, lemon, salt, cilantro and olive oil, you’ll find that there is a great mixture of savory and sweet profiles within the sauce.
The sauce isn’t overburdened by a spicy profile. Rather, the aji almost takes on a refreshing attribute when put atop of dishes (I love using it for rice dishes).
Like most dishes, aji is very customizable, especially when it comes to how spicy it is prepared. As mentioned before, you can make the sauce less spicy by removing the seeds from the aji amarillo (yellow pepper) and lean heavier on the tomate de arbol or the other ingredients.
In terms of consistency, my aji isn’t thick because of my use of water. The aji sauce can be chunky because of the onions and cilantro that is used but if you want to make it thick, tone down the use of water.
How Aji de Tomate de Arbol Prepared
For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients,
- 4 tomates de arbol (tree tomato / tamarillo)
- 2 aji peppers
- 1.75 cups of water
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ lemon
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ cups of cilantro (finely chopped)
- ¼ of an onion (finely chopped)
You’ll also need the following equipment,
- A blender
- Cutting board
- Knive
- Spoon
- Container
Note: Tomates de arbol and aji peppers are a bit difficult to find in the US and you may find it at a specialized latin grocery store. El Condor offers both to businesses in the midwest and through our store in Chicago.
We keep it frozen and you may find your tomate de arbol frozen as well.
Step 1: Thaw Tomate de Arbol and Aji
With the 4 frozen tomates de arbol and 2 aji peppers, you can do the follow,
- Thaw the ingredients overnight to ensure they’re tender in the morning
- Place the frozen ingredients in a bowl of warm water for 5 – 10 minutes; you just need to thaw the tamarillo and aji pepper enough to cut into it
Step 2: Peel the Tamarillo and Place in Blender
Cut into the side of each tamarillo or cut into halves. Extract the insides of the fruit by squeezing or scooping it out into a blender.
Step 3: Extract Seeds from Aji Pepper and Place in Blender
Depending on your spiciness tolerance level, you may want to cut open the aji pepper and remove seeds based on your preference. The more seeds, the more spicy the aji will be. Place peppers into a blender.
Step 4: Add Water to Blender
I add 1.75 cups of water into the aji to give the sauce a more fluid consistency. You can adjust the water levels depending on how you want the aji to feel.
Step 5: Add in Olive Oil
Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil into the blender to give the sauce a slightly fruitier taste.
Step 6: Add in Garlic Cloves
Add 3.5 garlic cloves to the blender; I’ve found garlic enhances the overall flavor of the sauce.
Step 7: Blend Ingredients
At this point, blend all the ingredients within the blender.
Step 8: Add Salt to Taste
I don’t provide an estimate of how much salt to use because I feel this ingredient is always left best to you. I like to add salt as I blend.
Step 9: Store Aji in Container
Pour aji sauce from the blender into a food container and set to the side.
Step 10: Finely Chop Cilantro and Mix
Take 5-6 bushes of cilantro (~⅓ cups of cilantro) and rinse – don’t worry too much about drying; the water will help with the taste.
Strip the cilantro leaves off the stem and place on a chopping board. Begin finely chopping cilantro. I like to chop finely because the juices of the cilantro begin to mix with the water from the rinse.
Mix cilantro into the aji container.
Step 11: Finely Chop Onions and Mix
Take an onion and cut off ¼ of it. Begin to finely chop the onion into very small pieces. Similar to the cilantro, the goal is to have the juices begin secreting. The juices will play a part in the overall flavor of the aji.
Take the finely chopped onion and pour it into the aji container.
Step 12: Mix Aji Ingredients
Lasty, with all the ingredients to the aji in a single container, mix for 15 – 30 secs.
At this point, you want to make sure you mix the finely chopped cilantro and onion, along with its juices, into the rest of the aji sauce.
Aji de Tomate de Arbol Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Knive
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Container
Ingredients
- 4 Tree Tomatoes (Tomate de Arbol)
- 2 Aji Peppers (Yellow Peppers) Remove seeds based on spicy tolerence
- 1.75 Cups Water
- 3.5 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 Lemon
- Salt to Taste
- 1/3 Cups Cilantro Finely chopped
- 1/4 White Onion Finely chopped
Instructions
- Thaw Tomate de Arbol and Aji
- Peel the Tamarillo and Place in Blender
- Extract Seeds from Aji Pepper and Place in Blender
- Add Water to Blender
- Add in Olive Oil
- Add in Garlic Cloves
- Blend Ingredients
- Add Salt to Taste
- Store Aji in Container
- Finely Chop Cilantro and Mix
- Finely Chop Onions and Mix
- Mix Aji Ingredients
How Can You Eat Aji de Tomate de Arbol?
Now that your sauce is ready, you can begin to use it on various dishes.
I love to use aji on dishes that can soak up the sauce.
For example, I love using aji on rice dishes, as the rice soaks up the aji and adjusts the consistency of the overall dish.
If you’re familiar with mote, or Ecuadorian hominy, it’s similar to rice and can be used as a side. Mote is not an overwhelmingly salty dish and aji can be used to enhance the overall flavor of mote.
Summary
Well, there you have it.
I was very happy to write this post as aji has become one of my favorite recipes to create over the last few years.
My appreciation for the sauce has grown as my taste buds have evolved and I continue to encourage all my friends and family to try it out in their meals.
All the best!
