Pilpelchuma (Filfel Chuma), a Libyan Jewish Red Chilli Paste from Tripoli
Pilpelchuma (filfel chuma) recipe, a red chilli paste from the Libyan Jews of Tripoli. Spicy, garlicky and tangy, it can be used a condiment and ingredient.
15non smoky dried red chilliesany sort, heat level is up to you
½Tbspwhole caraway seeds
½Tbspwhole cumin seeds
15medium-sized garlic cloves
1TbspAleppo pepper flakesor chilli powder or paprika, non smoky
80ml(1/3 cup) light olive oil, not extra virgin
½tspsalt
½tspwhite sugar
3Tbspfresh lemon juice
plus more olive oilany kind for covering before storage
You will also need a spice or coffee millas well as a chopper to blitz everything.
You couldif you like, use ground cumin and ground caraway, just dry toast the powders for a minute only as per the instructions below.
Instructions
Soaking the dried chillies
With a pair of scissors, snip the dried chillies into 2-3 pieces, into a bowl.
Top the chillies with boiling water, cover with a plate, and leave to soak for 15 minutes.
Preparing the Cumin and Caraway seeds
Place both seeds in a small frying pan on medium-low heat and dry fry for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat as soon as you get a toasty aroma from it, as you don't want them to burn.
Tip the seeds into a coffee or spice mill and leave to cool for 2 minutes.
Then grind the spices to a fine powder.
Making Pilpelchuma
Drain and rinse the soaked chillies, losing all the seeds at the bottom of the bowl. Add to your chopper.
Tip the garlic and half the olive oil in and process for about a minute.
Now add everything else in and process to a fairly fine paste. Don't worry too much about the odd stubborn chilli bit.
Tip the pilpelchuma into a sterilised jar, seal with a thin layer of olive oil and store in the fridge. It will last for 2 weeks easily. Keep topping it with a layer of oil each time you take some out, and it will last for 2 weeks. The oil is there to prevent bacteria from settling and your paste from getting mouldy.