Adventures in Cooking: Some like it hot

Majida Rashid

Why is a chili called chili when it’s really hot? Because only cool people are hot!

The chili dip recipe in my March column was good for adding zest to spring rolls, French fries or samosas, at the last minute.

Now it’s time to welcome spring with a yummy chili sauce. It can be made ahead of time and a small amount goes a long way. It adds tang to dips and uplifts raw or cooked vegetables, meats and fruits. Yes, chilies do bring out the sweetness of fruits if used sparingly.

Chili sauce can be fermented, unfermented or cooked. Cooked chili sauce tastes similar to when chilies are added to food during cooking. Unfermented sauce is a notch up. It creates a buzz in the mouth because it’s prepared in vinegar. Fermented chili sauce, on the other hand, is full of probiotics. It’s also more flavorful and mellower than unfermented sauce.

Homemade fermented chili sauce tends to separate so it’s good to give it a good shake before using or blend it several times a day for the first three days. Psyllium husk or a spoon of Xanthum gum can correct this problem. The gum can be found in baking supplies or in the gluten-free section of your supermarket. A tablespoon of cornstarch boiled in a quarter cup of water and added to the sauce before refrigerating will also stabilize it.

It may help to watch or read about something if one is preparing the dish for the first time. But I always ask myself, “How can I be creative rather than just replicating a recipe?”

This is what makes cooking fun. I love experimenting with mixing and matching of ingredients and making an end dish that pleases the palate of whoever eats it.

I usually make small quantities of sauces in case I have to throw them away. Though I’ve never thrown away anything yet. If the food tastes good then I get enthusiastic and more creative about making the next batch. Small batches also eliminate the need of adding a stabilizer because they are consumed quickly.

Many websites and books recommend using special lids or jars for making sauces but, like my mother, I use jars that come with food in them. She used to wash and boil the jar until the white foam appeared. I just wash them in a dishwasher. After all, for centuries people have been fermenting food without any lavish equipment or utensils.

Spoons, jars and food used in making chili sauce should be completely dry. Vegetables like carrots and capsicum can also be added for flavor. It’s best to use only one color of chilies. Combining green, orange or red chilies will yield a not very-appealing brown color.

Use my recipe as a guideline. It’s good to experiment and fine tune the flavor that suits one’s palate. Though it’s important to keep the salt to water ratio for successful results. Too little salt may encourage growth of unhealthy bacteria and too much will prevent fermentation.

Fermented Chili Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh red or green chilies, any variety

4 teaspoons Himalaya salt

3 cups water

2 – 3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 small onion, sliced

A small carrot (optional)

1 -2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (optional)

A pinch of cumin and coriander seeds

1 quart or 32 oz jar, sterilized


Instructions

Wash, wipe and spread the chilies and carrots on a tray until completely dried. Meanwhile, boil together water and salt and leave aside until all impurities settle down in the bottom.

Halve the chilies and their stems, slice the carrot and place them in a sterilized jar. Add other ingredients and cover with warm brine. If for some reason, the brine doesn’t come up to the top of the chilies, make a little more.

Put a small clean tin, a weight or pour water in a clean zip-lock bag and place over the chilies. Cover the jar with a piece of muslin cloth or a tea towel so air can go inside. Leave in a dark and dry cabinet, for 5-7 days.

Drain the liquid and blend the chilies adding the liquid a little at a time. Pour into a sterilized jar and refrigerate. Adding a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice before storing the sauce will preserve it for a longer time.

Enjoy!