You already know how much Indians love chillies but do you know to what extent? In Maharashtrian (Maharashtra is a state in western Indian) cuisine, there is a dip / chutney which is literally just crushed chillies with some garlic! It might sound crazy but believe me, it tastes really, really good. It is usually eaten with Jowar (Sorghum) or Bajra (Pearl millet) roti and is also served alongside main meals. Traditionally this chutney (thecha) is made by crushing the chillies and garlic with a mortar and pestle but you can make it in a food processor too.
Usually when my mom visits, she gets me a jar of this chutney but the contents of the last one are long gone. So when I saw these beautiful red chillies at the grocers, I couldn't resist buying them.
In this recipe, I have removed the seeds as these chillies were super spicy but you can keep them in if you wish.
12 red chillies
6-7 cloves of garlic, chopped roughly
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil (you can use vegetable oil)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Method
Wash the chillies and pat them dry. De-seed them and chop them roughly.
In a small pan, heat the oil and add the black mustard seeds. Let them sputter then turn the flame off and keep aside.
Coarsely grind the chillies and garlic in a mixer or food processor. Add this mixture to the oil, season with some salt and mix well.
If the thought of eating this raw scares you, you could saute the garlic and chillies in some oil before grinding. Also add some lemon if you want to bring the spice levels down further.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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