Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

Insanity Chilli Paste

Insanity Chilli Paste is a modern Fusion recipe for my own version of an insanely-hot chilli paste with Mughal elements used for hot chilli challenges and curries. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Fusion version of: Insanity Chilli Paste.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

10 minutes

Total Time:

30 minutes

Additional Time:

(+freezing)

Makes:

12 cubes

Rating:

Tags : CurryChilli RecipesSauce RecipesSpice RecipesFusion RecipesFusion Recipes

What do you do when your in-laws are Nigerian, you have a bit of a friendly competition as to who can eat the spiciest food and even a phaal is becoming a bit tame... you come up with an intensely hot chilli paste with African and Indian Mughal traditions. I used cashew nuts as my wife loves them and it yields a bit of richness to the final dish. The only problem is that nuts tend to tone down the heat so you need even hotter chillies. Here I blended scotch bonnets from Ivory Coast (which are both very hot and very aromatic), Caroline reapers (obviously) and African piri-piris (birds' eye chillies). Adding fried shallots, garlic and cashews yielded a Mughal touch with Tandoori Masala added for that curry touch. The only thing left was to use the paste in a BIR (British Indian Restaurant) style curry to give the in-laws something they would not have encountered before. Thankfully my local grocers has a different chilli every week so I have access to Naga Jalokias, Carolina Reapers and others. I also added a smoked chipotle and a smoked habanero for the smoky flavour that Nigerians tend to love. I've also added Szichuan peppercorns, which are similar to a native Nigerian spice that numbs the mouth.

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves
2 shallots, chopped
5 cashew nuts
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp tandoori masala
2 aromatic scotch bonnets
2 Naga jalokia chillies
3 Carolina reaper chillies
1 chipotle chilli
1 smoked habanero chilli
6 African birds' eye (piri-piri) chillies
6 Szichuan peppercorns (for a different kind of spice)

Method:

Melt the ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and fry for 5 minutes, or until soft. Now add the cashew nuts and fry for a few minutes until just toasted. Take off the heat, turn onto a plate and allow to cool.

Combine the shallot and cashews in a blender with all the remaining ingredients. Process to chop then add just enough water so you can process to a smooth paste. I packed the mixture into ice trays and froze.

About 3 ice cubes (3 tbsp) is enough for an insanely hot curry.