Ingredients:

• 10 – dry long Red Chillies
• 10 – small Onions or shallots, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 bulb – garlic, flaked, peeled and crushed
• 4-5 sticks – Lemon grass, peeled and chopped
• 2-inch piece – ginger, grated
• 12-15 – peppercorns
• 1 tsp – Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp – Lemon rind, grated (use kaffir Lime if available)
• 1.5 tsp – salt or more to taste
• 1 tsp – oil
• 1/2 cup – boiling hot water

Method:

1. Pour boiling hot water over destalked, broken chillies.
2. Cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
3. Drain water from chillies and keep aside.
4. Dry grind peppercorns and coriander seeds.
5. Add soaked chillies, onions, garlic and ginger and grind again to a paste.
6. Add drained chilli water if required.
7. Add lemon grass, salt and lemon zest and blend again to a paste.
8. Empty into clean, sterile jar, with a non-metallic lid.
9. Heat and cool oil, then pour over paste.
10. Stir gently with a wooden skewer, close lid.
11. Refrigerate and use as required.

Recipe courtesy of Saroj Kering