Ají Cuencano

By Francis Lam

Published November 21, 2015

  • Grant Cornett for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Theo Vamvounakis.
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Tomate de árbol (also called tamarillo) is an unusual ingredient that tastes like a savory, tomatolike passion fruit. Available frozen or as pulp at many Latino or South American grocers, it is blended in the mountain city of Cuenca into an easy vinaigrettelike sauce with chiles, onion, cilantro and oil. Use it as a hot sauce, a dip or an accompaniment to meat or fish.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 cups

  • 14 ounces of tamarillo pulp, thawed, or 12 tamarillos, peeled and puréed

  • 2 red jalapeños (or chiles of your choice)

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • ¼ cup vegetable or olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons of finely chopped white onion

  • 3 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped

  • Kosher salt, to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a blender or food processor, blend the tamarillo, jalapeno, lime and sugar, then blend in the oil until smooth. Stir in the onion and cilantro, and salt to taste.

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4 out of 5
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Comments

Craig

I live in a food-obsessed West Coast city, and I couldn't find the tamarillo ingredient. I substituted persimmon. Seemed to work

Tom Alberti

Maybe a combination of Tomatoes & Passion fruits will do the trick...(Tamarillo substitute)

Craig

I live in a food-obsessed West Coast city, and I couldn't find the tamarillo ingredient. I substituted persimmon. Seemed to work

Sue

Persimmons are a totally different flavor -- no doubt delicious here, but very different. In my experience across multiple cities (most far less food-obsessed than Portland or Seattle), when I've not had access to a South American grocer, tamarillo are at least sometimes available in good produce markets. Check in winter.

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