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Colombian

Colombian ají picante

Vegetarian

Ají picante

Finely chopped hot chillies, spring onion, coriander and tomato steeped in vinegar, lime and water. A thin, chunky, fresh hot sauce that every Colombian table has with empanadas and soups.

Colombian ají picante is a Colombian condiment, ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes and made with fresh red chilli and spring onion. It serves 10 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
1 h
Total
1 h 15 min
Serves
10
Level
Beginner
Calories
6

Ingredients

10 servings (about 33 g)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Wearing gloves if you have them, deseed (to taste) and very finely chop the chillies. Finely chop the spring onion (opens in a new tab), coriander and tomato (opens in a new tab).

    Food safety: Wash your hands after handling hot chillies and keep them away from your eyes.

    An onion being chopped on a board
    How it looks · Photo: Christina & Peter on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir the vinegar, water, lime juice (opens in a new tab), salt and sugar (opens in a new tab) in a bowl until dissolved, then add the chopped vegetables.

  3. Step 3

    Leave for at least 1 hour for the flavours to marry, then taste and adjust. Transfer to a jar; serve with a spoon so everyone gets both liquid and pieces.

    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Colombia · Commonly attributedHousehold recipes differ by region (Antioquia adds tomato; others use only onion, coriander and chilli). This is a common combined version.More food from Colombia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Sauces
Cooking method
No-cook
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), sour, fresh, herby
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Fresh red chilli · Spring onion · Coriander leaves · White vinegar · Lime juice · Sugar
Techniques
Knife skills

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

6 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 33 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 15%
  • Carbohydrate 85%
  • Fat 0%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy6 kcal18 kcal
Protein0.2 g0.7 g
Carbohydrate1.1 g3.4 g
Net carbohydrate0.8 g2.6 g
Sugars0.5 g1.6 g
Added sugars0.2 g0.6 g
Fibre0.3 g0.8 g
Fat0 g0.1 g
Saturated fat0 g0 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium157 mg477 mg
Salt equivalent0.4 g1.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
39 mg
Calcium
7 mg
Iron
0.2 mg
Magnesium
3 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
11 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
6 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: tomato.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • For ají de aguacate, stir in diced avocado just before serving.

Common mistakes

  • Blending it smooth; Colombian ají is hand-chopped and chunky in a thin, watery liquid.

Serve with

  • Empanadas colombianas.
  • Sancocho, ajiaco and bandeja paisa.
  • Arepas, patacones and grilled meats.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in a covered jar for up to 5 days (without avocado).

Variations

  • Ají de aguacate (Colombia): With diced avocado folded through.
  • Ají de maní (Colombia): Payanés version thickened with ground roasted peanuts.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Fresh red chilli, hot chillies (ají, habanero or bird's eye), deseeded to taste and very finely chopped30 g
  • Spring onion, cebolla larga, finely chopped60 g
  • Tomato, deseeded and finely diced (optional)100 g
  • Lime juice, freshly squeezed15 ml · 16 g
Used in steps 1, 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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