East Africa · Side
Shatta (Crushed Green Chili and Peanut Relish)
A blistering South Sudanese table condiment of stone-crushed green bird's eye chilies, roasted groundnuts, garlic, and fresh lemon.
The story
In the bustling open-air markets and riverside fish stalls of Juba and Wau, no table setting is complete without a communal dish of freshly pounded Shatta. While variations exist across the Nile basin, the South Sudanese formulation is distinctive for incorporating freshly toasted groundnut paste to temper raw chili heat with rich fat. Traditionally ground on a smooth granite slab called a murhaka, the relish relies on raw acid and cold-pressed oil to stabilize the volatile capsaicin oils.
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