Super Hot Assam Curry Paste
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Super Hot Assam Curry Paste
If your Adventurous and like Spicy food, you can try this Super Hot Assam Curry Paste which can be added to any meat or fish preparations in small quantities to give it some heat. But be cautious and careful while preparing it as you really don't want to inhale the chilli powder or splatter any on your skin.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe collected by England's "King of Curries," Pat Chapman. Use it in place of commercial curry pastes or powders.
INGREDIENTS
1 dried Naga Jolokia pod, seeds removed, ground in a spice mill (wear a mask to avoid inhaling the powder)
4 tablespoons ground coriander
4 teaspoons cumin
4 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice mix; available in Asian markets)
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground fenugreek seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons powdered ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Method
- Mix the ground spices together. Add the vinegar and water and mix into a paste. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- In a large pan, heat the oil. Add the paste (careful of the sputtering), lower the heat, and stir-fry for 5 to 10 minutes.
- As the liquid is reduced, the paste will begin to make a regular bubbling noise (hard to describe, but it goes chup-chup-chup) if you don't stir, and it will splatter. This is your audible cue that it is ready.
- You can tell if the spices are cooked by taking the pan off the stove. Let stand for 3 to 4 minutes. If the oil 'floats' to the top, the spices are cooked. If not, add a little more oil and repeat.
- Bottle the paste in sterilized jars. Then heat up a little more oil and 'cap' off the paste by pouring in enough oil to cover.
- Seal the jars and store. Properly cooked, it will last for months. If refrigerated, indefinitely.
Yield: About 1 cup
Heat Scale: Extremely Hot!