Zesty Mango Habanero Hot Sauce

It’s the hot sauce that we have been drooling over for months and couldn’t wait to share with you! This recipe is adapted from Bryant Terry’s Afro-Vegan Cookbook, which we love! The original recipe is great, but we’ve adapted it to make it easier without losing the heat.

This is a must-try if you like hot sauce with mangoes. It’s a vibrant color with a flavor that is sweet, spicy, and tart. You can use it on anything ( Plantains, anyone?) It’s also easy to make, taking only eight simple ingredients and 25 min. Let’s make some hot sauce!

Mango Hot Sauce: Origins

Many different varieties of hot sauce are enjoyed all over the world. What is the common ingredient? Chili peppers have been in Mexico, Central and South America for over 6,000 years.

Who came up with this brilliant idea to combine sweet mangoes and spicy peppers? We couldn’t find a definitive answer to this question, but it seems that mangoes in hot sauce are common in the Caribbean. This is especially true in Jamaica and Belize.

This is an oil-free version of a deliciously spicy recipe adapted by the talented author and chef Bryant Terry.

How to make Mango Habanero hot sauce

The hot sauce is made by sautéing cumin and onion seeds with water until the onions become tender and the seeds are fragrant.

Capsaicin is a compound found in habaneros (and other chilis), which is what makes them HOT. It has been proven to be a pain-reliever, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and promoter for beneficial gut microbes, and . researchers found that those who ate spicy food 6-7 times per week were at a lower risk of dying by 14%. Give Mama some chili peppers!

Wear kitchen gloves, or Wash your hands thoroughly after cutting peppers.

After the peppers are chopped, the rest of the ingredients can be added: the lime juice and zest; sweet the mango in order to balance out the heat; the salt and vinegar as classic hot sauces and the water to blend it.

Blend all the ingredients to make hot sauce. It’s spicy! If needed, you can add a bit of maple syrup to balance out the heat. Remember that it will also soften a little after a few days. We find that a sweet, ripe mango doesn’t require maple syrup.

Ingredients

• Use two tablespoons of water plus as much more as needed (for sautéing // or substitute half the amount with oil).
• Half a cup of finely diced yellow or white onion
• Cumin seeds whole (or slightly less ground cumin).
• Two cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 habanero chiles*, seeds removed, minced
• Add more salt to taste.
• Half a cup of diced mangoes (we prefer champagne mangoes).
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• Use 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice
• White wine vinegar 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp (or substitute apple cider vinegar).
• Water – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Maple syrup: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (optional, depending on the ripeness and sweetness of the mango).

Instructions

• Add water, onions, and cumin to a small pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking. Saute for 4-5 minutes. If browning is occurring too fast, turn down the heat or add some water.
• Add the garlic, salt, and habanero and saute for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Start with a smaller amount of vinegar, water, lime zest, and lime juice. Then, add the remaining amounts.
• Blend until smooth and creamy (use a small, safe blender for mixing hot foods such as a Vitamix on a narrow base or NutriBullet). If the mixture is too thick, add more water and blend again.
• Add more salt if needed. You can also add lime juice to brighten the flavor, vinegar to acidify, or maple syrup to sweeten it up.
• Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. You can also freeze the mixture into ice cubes using a mold and store it in the freezer for up to two months.