Ajís, or spicy sauces as they are known in Ecuador, are great ways to add a bit of a kick to any meal, and one of the traditional spicy sauces from Ecuador is ají de tomate de árbol.
Tomate de árbol, also known as tamarillo, is native to the Andes region of Latin America, so you will not only find this fruit in Ecuador, but also in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Literally translated as "tree tomato," it is also indigenous to such countries as Australia and New Zealand.
When I first moved to the United States several years ago, it was impossible to find any incarnation of this fruit available for sale, and to this day, I have yet to see tree tomatoes at a grocery store or market. However, I have recently noticed that the pasteurized fruit pulp is now available in the Hispanic frozen food section of several grocery store chains, making this recipe accessible to all.
Some varieties of the tamarillo are sweet, but generally speaking tomates de árbol are quite tart, and I decided to give a twist to this spicy sauce and use habanero peppers. Though habaneros are very spicy, they have a sweet, fruity quality to them at works well with the tamarillo. Use this sauce to flavor fish tacos – even as a spicy dressing for a salad. Typically, it's best to add heat after the dish is done – not while its cooking, customizing the level of spicyness to your own taste preference. If the spicy proves to be too much to handle, you can tame it by squeezing extra lime juice on your portion.
Tamarillo and Ají Sauce (Ají de Tomate de Arbol)
- 1 1/2 cups of tamarillo pulp
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 habaneros, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon scallions, roughly chopped (only the white portion)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- the juice of 1 lime (more if desired)