Home > Recipes > Kickstarter chilli paste

Kickstarter chilli paste
( MAKES 1 cup )

Canvas

Photo by Annabel Langbein media

No ratings yet

With its heady mix of chillies, garlic and ginger, this spicy brew will transform any stew, sauce or stir-fry. It can be made with fresh or frozen chillies, but some chillies are hotter than others, so taste a little first and adjust the quantities to suit. The rule of thumb is usually: the smaller, the hotter.

Ingredients

8	Long red chillies, fresh or frozen, coarsely chopped
8	Garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup	Fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
¼ cup	Neutral oil
2	Lemons, use the zest, finely grated (or use lime zest)
½ cup	Water
2 Tbsp	Sugar
2 tsp	Soy sauce
½ tsp	Salt

Directions

Puree chillies, garlic, ginger and oil to a paste in a food processor or mortar and pestle.
Heat a heavy-based frypan or pot over medium heat. Add chilli paste and lemon or lime zest and cook, stirring now and then, until it starts to smell aromatic (about 5 minutes).
Add water and sugar and cook until it starts to stick and become pasty in texture and the oil has risen to the top (about 10 minutes).
Remove from heat and stir through soy sauce, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Allow to cool. If not using at once, store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 months.