A Spicy Adventure: Creating Your Own Mozambican Peri-Peri Sauce

Let me tell you about my recent trip to the vibrant vegetable market in Maputo, Mozambique. I had initially planned to write about spareribs, but as soon as I stepped into the market, something else caught my attention: peri-peri sauce. Now, I must admit, I’m a huge fan of this fiery condiment, and this market was a peri-peri paradise. It was brimming with an assortment of homemade jars, bottles, and flasks filled with this tantalizing sauce.

Allow me to introduce you to the star ingredient of peri-peri sauce – the African bird’s eye chilli, fondly known as the peri-peri chilli. As I explored the market, I found myself surrounded by a dizzying array of these chillies. Fresh green and red ones, dried flakes, powdered versions, tangy pastes, and of course, an endless variety of sauce options.

Next on my list for shopping was garlic, the real deal from Mozambique. I wanted garlic that looked like garlic and tasted like it too – no modifications, development, or breeding for appearance over flavor. I made sure to grab both lemon and lime juice, a kilogram of each (I used the lime juice for my sauce and the lemons for gin and tonics). I also got some regular white spirit vinegar and olive oil, brought all the way from South Africa. To season the sauce, I added coarse sea salt and a dash of paprika powder.

As I set out from the market, I hopped on a boat for a one-hour journey across the bay to the mesmerizing Inhaca Island. My main purpose for visiting our neighboring country wasn’t just to make a peri-peri sauce; it was to indulge in a grand peri-peri prawn braai session. Mozambique is known for its abundant prawns, and this braai consisted of tiger prawns that were as big as crayfish, along with some king and queen prawns on the side. Cooked over hot coals, a prawn takes about six minutes to braai, but before that, you have to marinate them in the peri-peri sauce for an hour.

After the prawn feast, it was time for a midday nap. I then hopped on another boat and made my way to one of the top snorkeling spots on Inhaca Island. Although I didn’t come across Nemo, I had the pleasure of meeting a few thousand of his friends, who dazzled me with their vibrant colors and various shapes and sizes.

Let me tell you about a memorable experience I had. I spent the day with local fishermen on their dhow, which is a traditional sailing vessel, for a sunset cruise. They had a different idea of what the day would entail, as they taught me how to fish. To my surprise, I ended up catching a large and incredibly fresh couta, which we then cooked on the grill. Can you guess what we used? That’s right, peri-peri sauce!

During my travels, I’ve had the opportunity to grill in many beautiful places, but Nahyeeni Lodge on Inhaca Island is definitely among the top. The lodge is like a luxurious vacation home, complete with a fantastic grilling area and a deck that offers stunning views of Maputo Bay.

A Spicy Mozambican Peri-Peri Sauce Recipe

Now, let me share a recipe for a super-hot peri-peri sauce that you can use to marinate prawns or make Portuguese chicken. Both dishes are delicious when paired with a Portuguese roll to soak up the flavorful sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• ½ cup white vinegar
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
• ½ cup olive oil

Hey there, let’s talk about making your own hot sauce. It’s surprisingly easy and oh so satisfying.

First things first, we need to gather our ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
• 10 African bird’s eye chilies, finely chopped (keep the seeds in for extra heat)

Okay, now let’s get cooking. Grab a clean jar and mix all the ingredients together. Give it a good shake and voila! You’ve just made your very own hot sauce.

Now, here’s a little secret. The sauce gets even better with time. So if you can resist the temptation, let it sit for an hour or even a day. Trust me, the flavors will really develop and it’ll be even spicier.

If you’re feeling particularly daring and want to turn up the heat, you can always add more chilies and chili powder. Go ahead, make it as fiery as you like.