Plump fresh red chillies, available in abundance throughout winter –their vibrancy adding a touch of glamour in the sabzi mandi.They are kind of hot-sweet-a taste difficult to define.And they form a great base for chutneys and pickles…

This tangy-sweet chutney is a great accompaniment to paranthas, dal-chawal and much more.A great zing to food! During the time they are available, I make a batch of the chutney and refrigerate. It keeps well, refrigerated, for a couple of months.

Red Chilli Chutney

Red chillies-5kg, washed, wiped dry, slit open and deseeded, and coarsely crushed in a mixer

Garlic-200gms, peeled, crushed in a mixer

Jaggery 1 cup-broken into small pieces or pounded

White vinegar-1 cup

Til oil-1 cup

Salt

In a pan, heat vinegar and jaggery.Heat just enough to let the jaggery dissolve-do not boil .Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, on medium heat. Add the crushed garlic, sauté; don’t let it get too brown! Put in the chillies, cook over a low flame. This takes time-the water from the chillies evaporates and what you are left with is a very small quantity! Keep cooking till oil leaves the sides…Mix in the vinegar-jaggery mixture and the salt. Cook over low heat for another 20 minutes, stirring in between, so that the mixture doesn’t burn.

Cool…and bottle.This can fill 10, 250 ml bottles.

Take care handling the chillies-wash hands well after handling!