When hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and remaining red chili. Fry for 20 seconds, then pour over coconut mixture and stir to mix well. Serve immediately. Finish it within a day as it won’t keep.
Serves 3-4
Cooking time: 30 seconds
Preparation time: 10 mins
Chili, Lime Juice, Fish Sauce, and Peanut Brittle Dip
Terry’s original blend of Thai, Vietnamese, and Cantonese influences, ideal for spring rolls and fried foods.
4 red chillies
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons crushed peanut brittle
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Chop chilies fine. Mix with all remaining ingredients.
Serves 2-3
Preparation time: 5 mins
Dried Shrimp, Chilies, Lime Juice, and Mint Dip
Ground dried shrimps—the best you can buy, please —are very compatible with chili-based dips. This makes a good base for a cucumber or pineapple side salad or kerabu; just mix a few spoonfuls with the chopped fruit.
3 tablespoons dried shrimps
4 red chilies
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped mint
2 tablespoons water
1 Soak dried shrimps in hot water for 30 minutes, until soft. Drain thoroughly.
2 Grind shrimps fine with a pestle and mortar or mini-chopper. Add chilies and grind until well incorporated. Stir in all remaining ingredients, adjusting balance to your own taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 2-3
Preparation time: 10 mins, including 30 mins standing time
Mango Chutney
6 small green mangoes, peeled, halved and stone removed
6 dried chillies, soaked until soft
4 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons raisins or sultanas
250 ml (1 cup) vinegar
60 ml (¼ cup) water
2 teaspoons ground cumin, or cumin seeds
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
90 g (3 oz) brown or demerara sugar
1 Cut each mango halt into two pieces lengthwise, then again crosswise, so half yields four pieces.
2 Drain chilies and pat dry. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat and fry chilies for about 45 seconds, until almost brown and slightly puffy. Add salt, ginger, and garam masala and stir for about 2 minutes over low heat. Add mangoes and remaining ingredients and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until mango is tender but not mushy.
3 Let chutney cool before transferring to a clean glass jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least one day (preferably three to four days) before eating.
Makes 1 large jar chutney
Cooking time: 13 mins
Preparation time: 15 mins
Pickled Green Chilies
20 fat green chilies, washed, stalks discarded
500 ml (2 cups) distilled white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 Slice chilies diagonally, about 5 mm (⅕ in) thick.
2 Bring vinegar to a boil with salt and sugar over high heat. Add chilies and simmer for 15 seconds. Pour all into a clean screwtop jar. Once cool, cover, and store in the fridge.
Makes 1 large jar pickled chilies
Cooking time: 3 mins
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cucumber Raita Indian Yoghurt Relish
There are countless Indian raitas, all based on the combination of vegetables and yoghurt. Here, cucumber amplifies the dish’s cooling character.
1 cucumber
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
2 teaspoons salt
250 g (9 oz) thick plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 Peel cucumber and quarter it lengthwise, then slice into thin quarter-moons. Mix with onion rings and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes, then drain, squeezing lightly to remove some juice, and rinse well with cold water.
2 Mix vegetables with yoghurt and lime juice. Serve alongside curries and biryanis.
Serves 2-3
Preparation time: 5 mins
Pickled Green Papaya
Crunchy and cool. Equally good paired with spicy curries or cold meats, or eaten neat as a snack.
1 firm green (unripe) papaya, about 650 g (1½ lbs)
2 teaspoons salt
500 ml (2 cups) distilled white vinegar
100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
1 Skin papaya and halve lengthwise. Scrape out white seeds and discard. With a vegetable peeler, shave papaya flesh into long thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and toss to mix well. Set aside for 40 minutes.
2 Squeeze as much moisture out of papaya as possible. Pack papaya into a large, very clean screwtop jar.
3 Dissolve sugar in vinegar over low heat. Let cool slightly, then pour over papaya. When completely cool, cover tightly. Let steep at least two days before serving. Pickle keeps for a couple of weeks in a cool place.
Makes approximately 600 g (1 lb 5½ oz) pickle
Preparation time: 20 mins, plus 40 mins standing time
