Ají de Maní is a traditional Colombian sauce and a must to serve empanadas de pipian. This delicious peanut hot sauce is also perfect to serve on top of grilled meats.
What is Ají de Maní?
Ají de Maní is a spicy sauce indigenous to the Popayan region of Colombia. It is a must to serve with Empanadas de Pipian and Tamales de Pipian. I personally love this delicious sauce with fresh vegetables or grilled chicken.
My American husband eats this sauce as a dip with Ritz crackers and he says that it is really good. However you use it, it is a wonderful spicy sauce recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
The printable recipe card with exact ingredients amounts and directions is below.
Vegetables: Scallions, garlic and habanero pepper
Oil: You can use vegetable, canola or corn oil
Peanuts: I recommend using roasted peanuts to make this sauce.
Herbs: Fresh cilantro or parsley
Seasoning: Sazón with color or azafran, cumin, salt and pepper
Water: To blend the sauce
How to Make Ají de Maní
- Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add the scallions and cilantro. Cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to the sauce pan and cook over medium-low for 12 to 15 minutes. Let it cool and serve.
How to Store
Keep in a sealed container up to 3 days in the fridge. I don't recommend freezing this peanut sauce.
More Sauce Recipes to Try
Ají de Maní Recipe (Peanut Hot sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ cup roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 large garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon sazon goya with azafran achiote or color
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon habanero pepper chopped
- 2 cups of water
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add the scallions and cilantro. Cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to the sauce pan and cook over medium-low for 12 to 15 minutes. Let it cool and serve.
Niru
I have eaten these in a tiny corner store in Popayan on the recommendation of my hostel owner. They were so good we kept buying more plates. That led me to search for this recipe.
Dianna V
This sounds like sopa de mani. But no one in my family has ever made this. I want to make this for my husband (american). When I cook a colombian dish he comes home he sniffs the air and says, "Oh yeah, this reminds me of when we were just dating." LOL
Gado-Gado Gal
Erica,
I think the logical thing to do now would be to provide a recipe for Tamales de Pipián! 🙂
Misha
Erica
Thank you 🙂
Haley J.
Oh, this looks exciting! I cannot wait to try it out - I love finding new uses for jabanero peppers!
Belinda @zomppa
With Ritz crackers? WOW! I can imagine this is good on anything - thanks for sharing!
Oysterculture
Erica, the rest of my dinner is still cooking, and I hope to have enough of this sauce left to serve with it. I cannot help myself, I have to keep sampling - it is so good and tasty! What a delicious sauce. It is a keeper indeed. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!
tasteofbeirut
Love that sauce Erica!
I like the peanuts in a savory sauce so much better than in a sweet pastry. This will be a nice change from the tahini sauce i use usually!
Empar
Hola! Erica
No logro comprender porque no me reconoce al dejarte mensajes y siempre sale Anonimo. El comentario anterior Anonimo soy yo.
Soy Empar de Creandoenlacocina.blogspot.
A ver si por fín me reconoce como tal.
Un beso.
norma
I would definitely use this on grilled veggies. Thanks for the recipe...it's been printed and saved.
Melanie
I love spicy peanut sauce--great for chicken--I want some now.
Oysterculture
This peanut sauce sounds amazing - I feel like you've been holding out on me, but you are always pulling out some incredible recipes. This one I know is sure to be a special treat.
Aside from the Empanadas de Pipian and Tamales de Pipian is it a sauce that is used for specific foods?
MaryMoh
Wow...this must be very flavourful and delicious. I remember my mom used to cook peanut soup for us. She said it's very nutritious.
panutts
yumm looks very tempting,
Faith
I agree, grilled chicken is a delicious use for this wondeful sauce!
Juliana
Wow, this peanut sauce sure looks so tasty...love the ingredients in it...yummie!