Yemeni green chilli sauce (Zhug)

1. Wash the coriander and parsley, dry thoroughly and cut off the thicker stems (the thin ones can stay).

2. Slice the green chillies; for a milder sauce, remove the seeds.

3. Toast the cardamom and cumin in a dry pan for half a minute, then crush in a mortar.

4. Put the herbs, chillies, garlic, spices and salt in a food processor and blitz to a coarse, pesto-like paste.

5. With the motor running, add the olive oil, lemon juice and enough water to get a spreadable but still textured sauce.

6. Transfer to a jar, cover the top with a thin layer of oil and keep in the fridge.

Tip: Zhug (or s'chug) comes from Yemenite Jewish cooking and is now one of Israel's most popular hot sauces: spooned into falafel, sabich, soup or over eggs. The layer of oil preserves its colour; it keeps about 1 week in the fridge, but you can also freeze it in an ice-cube tray.