Chilli Paste

Make a batch of this chilli paste and keep it in your fridge. Whether you are having rice, roshi, noodles or something else, it’s a great addition to have on hand.

Makes: around 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 onion medium
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. thinly sliced ginger
• ¼ cup dried fish chips                      
• 12 curry leaves                                                 
• 1 tsp. water   
• 1 ½ tsp. sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp. soya sauce                               
• 1/2 cup & 2 tbsp. oil      
• ½ cup chili flakes                               
• 1 ½ tbsp. tomato paste                                 

Instructions:

1. Roughly slice onion, garlic and ginger
2. Into a grinder add dried fish and grind until it gets fine. Set aside.
3. Then add the sliced onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves into the grinder along with 1 tsp. water and grind until you get a paste.
4. Mix sugar, salt, and soya sauce together in a bowl and keep it aside.
5. Heat ½ cup oil in a large pot, add the paste mixture (from step 3) and fry for 3 minutes on medium heat.
6. Then add the dried fish, mix to combine and fry for another minute.
7. Then add the chili flakes into the pot, mix well and fry on low heat for 1 minute.
8. Add the soya sauce mixture and tomato paste and cook while mixing for half a minute.
9. Add 2 tbsp oil and cook on medium heat while mixing again for 2 minutes
10. Transfer your chili paste into a sterilized glass bottle. Cover the lid tightly and let it rest.