Zor ka jhatka!

Kandla Nijhowne

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Around this time each year I spot these glistening, bewitching, plump red chilies in the market. Admittedly they are lethal and fiery too! Teamed with garlic, they create a zingy chutney. This zor ka jhatka is a versatile addition to a fried rice, a hot and sour soup, a marinade, a pizza sauce, momos or even a sandwich spread. It will make you blink with sheer shock, so sample sparingly before scooping out too much!

Lahsun-mirch ki chutney 

The ingredients 

• 100 gm fresh red chilies (stems removed, cut into 2-3 pieces)
• 16-17 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
• 1 tsp whole jeera
• 5 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Pop the chilies and garlic into a blender jug, add a little water and whiz to make a coarse paste.
• Heat oil in a pan, then crackle the jeera seeds in it.
• Tip the paste out into the pan and stir fry till the oil separates from the mixture.
• Add salt to taste, cool and transfer into a jar.

Note: A splash of vinegar makes an interesting addition to this chutney. It should be poured in towards the end of the cooking period. When the chilies are not in season, substitute with dried red chilies (Kashmiri variety). Prior to grinding, they should be soaked in warm water for a few hours.

(Nijhowne is a Chandigarh-based culinary expert)