Who would have thought that only centuries ago the Chilli was unknown in India ! Prior to being introduced to it by Portuguese traders in the 16th century Indian chefs used black pepper and other spices to flavour food. Once the Chilli became known, however, it rapidly overtook pepper as the nations favourite. This recipe is a classic example of the Indians fantastic ability to combine capsicums with other spices to create something special. Absolute brilliance that adds great authenticity to your next Indian theme evening.
Ingredients
Pre- preparation
Red Chillies – 250 grams
Lemon juice - ½ cup
Salt – 3 tablespoons
Making spiced oil
Vegetable oil – ½ cup
Black mustard seeds - 2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 2 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper corns - 7-8
Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida -1 teaspoon (alternatively use one tablespoon of fresh chopped garlic)
White vinegar – 2 tablespoons
Sugar- one teaspoon
Instructions
Pre-preparation
Wash Chillies and dry. Allow to rest on a kitchen paper towel to ensure that any moisture is eliminated.
Top and tail Chillies and cut in half length-ways
Place a layer of salt in a flat glass container. Place a layer of Chillies on the salt
Sprinkle another layer of salt over this.
Continue layering salt and Chillies in the way described above until all the Chillies have been used.
Add the lemon juice to the container and cover with cling film. Place in a cool dark place during the day and finally refrigerate overnight
For the spiced oil
Combine all spices with the exception of the black pepper and heat in pan over a low heat to release the essential oils of the spices. This should take two to three minutes. Shake the pan and stir the spices continuously whilst roasting. Be careful not to burn.
Grind roasted spices in a grinder or pestle and mortar until a fine powder
Heat the oil until moderately hot in a saucepan or pot. . Add the peppercorns and allow cooking for one to two minutes
Remove oil from heat and add asafoetida or garlic. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Add the ground spices and turmeric. Allow oil to cool
Final Step
Once oil has cooled, remove the Chillies from the salt and lemon juice and add to the spiced oil with the sugar and vinegar. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.