Shatta Gazawi VS Duggus Hijazi

We thought a Shatta Gazawi VS Duggus Hijazi post would be a fun way to tell you a little bit more about Diana and myself. We both come from different regions of the Arab world. She is from Palestine and I am from Saudi Arabia. One of the aspects we connected on is how different our food cultures are, yet there are many similarities. We both always had some sort of spicy condiment on every lunch and dinner table. She had Shatta Gazawi, and I had Hijazi Duggus. In their essence, they both are used in exactly the same way but they couldn’t be more different.

Shatta Gazawi is a Palestinian staple available in every household, and let me tell you it is SPICY!!! Like hot hot hot. The base is almost purely chilies so approach with caution here. I must say I have become addicted to the numbing sting of it.

Hijazi Duggus is a more mildly spiced condiment, you can adjust the heat level with the amount and kind of chili you opt to use. It has additional flavors of garlic, cilantro, and tomatoes, that balance it out and add a punch of fresh flavor. There are many variations of this condiment, some with fire-roasted tomatoes or tahini, I will be sharing the one I grew up with.

Give both a try, see what you like, and share with us your families spicy condiment.

Here is what you will need to make Shatta Gazawi VS Duggus Hijazi

Palestinian Shatta from Gaza

Shatta Gazawi is so simple to make. It’s a purists chili condiment, with nothing coming between you and its fiery heat. The process takes about 3 days but it lasts in your fridge for up to 6 months.

Ingredients

• red chilis
• apple cider vingar
• salt
• lemon
• olive oil

Wash the chills and dry them. Wear some gloves and then thinly slice the chilies with the seeds ( if you would like to reduce some of the heat remove some of the seeds). Sprinkle the chilis with salt. Sterilize a glass jar in some boiling water, then place the chilis and seeds inside the jar. Seal the jar and either place it on your countertop or fridge for 2 days.

On the third day drain the liquid from the jar, place in a food processor, and blitz to your desired texture. You can either blitz to a paste or keep it semi-rough.

Add the lemon and apple cider vinegar and mix. Then place everything back into the jar. Fill with olive oil, enough to fully cover the chilis. That’s it, make sure to keep filling the jar as you use it the shatta should always be fully submerged in the olive oil.

Duggus Hijazi

Duggus Hijazi is a green chili condiment that is served almost every day in the Hijaz region. It is famously eaten with saleeg ( a rice and chicken dish) or my favorite with meat samosas. It’s mild, in my opinion, because it has additional flavors that balance it out. It reminds me more of a salsa. Because this uses fresh tomatoes, it will only store for a couple of days in the fridge in a sealed mason jar. We usually make this fresh every time(half the recipe), it doesn’t take long, and tastes best this way.

There are many variations of this condiment, some add some tahini, some fire roast the tomatoes , this is the version I grew up with.

Ingredients

• green chili
• tomato
• lime
• cilantro
• salt
• garlic

Wash and peel your tomatoes. Grate on the large side of your grater into a bowl. Set aside. If you use a food processor unfortunately it will lose its texture and become too watery.

In a pestle and mortar ( I asked if this could be done in a food processor and I was yelled at, apparently this is the only way to do it), place coriander, garlic, salt, and roughly chopped chili. Proceed to grind away until a smooth paste is formed. I personally feel that this could be easily done in a food processor, but I was preparing this in my mother’s kitchen and wouldn’t dare.

The green chili pepper you use will dictate the heat level of your Duggus. The one we used was pretty mild, so we were able to use the whole thing. If you use Thai chilies I would start with one and work my way up.

Now it is time to combine all of our components. Into your bowl of grated tomatoes, place your cilantro, garlic, chili paste, give it a good mix. Add in the lime juice, and mix. Taste to adjust the salt. This is best used fresh the day it’s made. But for storage place in a mason jar with an air-tight lid for 4-5 days.

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