Chilli Paste

The chillies were exceptionally bountiful this year and are still albeit slowly producing. There are so many dried chillies about the house - garlands and baskets with a variety of diffrent types, jalapenos, cayenne and the hot Thai chilli. We also grew a new type this year called Anaheim which were quite large and mostly char grilled or roasted or stuffed with a savoury rice filling.

Left whole the dried chillies are a challenge, they are very hot and need to be used sparingly. Our friend Theo, once told me that the seeds of chillies and capsicums 'upset his giblets' and this got me thinking about how to use the chillis without the seeds. My new favourite chilli paste is the result - a flavoursome paste with a good chilii flavour, but not too hot and no seeds. Best of all it uses up lots of dried chillies. The paste makes a good base for a mild Thai style curry,  can be used as a marinade for chicken or a  spicy addition to stir fry or casserole.

 As it contains no salt or preservatives it will not keep for more than a week in the refrigerator and is best frozen into small containers. I usually make a big batch and freeze it into a variety of different sized containers.








The chilli paste is quite easy to make with a food processor or blender. Wear disposable or rubber gloves to  deseed the chillies.

Place the chillies in a saucepan and cover with water, add vinegar and simmer slowly until the chillies have rehydrated and are soft.













Finely chop garlic and onions in a food processor.

Pureed onion,oil and chilli.












Chilli paste cooked until the mixture splits/separates.

Chilli Paste

1 cup of dried chillies, flesh only

2 onions

1 bulb garlic

1 cup grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

Wear disposable or rubber gloves to do this. Trim up the chillies to remove the stalks. Split in half and scrape out the seeds and membranes. You need a cup of firmly packed flesh.

Place the chillies in a saucepan and cover with water, add vinegar and simmer slowly until the chillies have rehydrated and are soft. Drain and puree in a food processor.

Finely chop garlic and onions in a food processor.

Heat oil and add onion mixture, cook for a minute or two. Add pureed chilli and continue to cook over low heat until mixture splits/separates. Stir frequently as it will stick.

Place the paste mixture into a glass jar. Pour a little extra oil over if the paste is not fully submerged in oil. Store the chilli paste in refrigerator for no more than a week. Alternatively freeze in small plastic containers.