Still High on Cherries

It's been a week since our cherry picking adventure. We've eaten most of it while some were given to family and friends. However we still have about 1kg in the fridge and the quality has begun to deteriorate. Dad suggested that we either make jam or juice. But Mama thought otherwise as she didn't think spending time de-seeding the fruits is a good idea. So, after checking if she has all the ingredients needed in the larder, Mama announced that she was going to try make hot cherry relish (acar).
I was given the task of writing down the recipe as Mama has plans for a family heirloom recipe book somewhere in the horizon. Here goes:

Ingredients
1 kg cherries, washed and the stems discarded
2 tbsp fish curry powder
1 tbsp hot chili paste
1 large onion
4 garlic
2.5cm ginger root
15 bird chilies, stems discarded
1 tsp salt
3 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 liter water
2 tbsp cooking oil

We managed to get two bottles of acar. Notice the nice red colour? That's from the cherries. Yummmm.....Best eaten with ghee rice, biryani (beef, lamb or chicken) or as dip for samosas.

1. Mix the chili paste and curry powder with a little bit of water in a small bowl.
2. Put the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor, pulse until fine.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
4. Fry the onion mixture until fragrant.
5. Mix in the curry and chili paste, stir well and fry until fragrant.
6. Now, plonk in the cherries, bird chilies and water.
7. Season with salt, sugar and vinegar. Let simmer until the cherries have become soft and the gravy thickens.
8. Mix in the sesame seeds, let simmer for a few minutes and take the pan away from the fire.
9. Transfer the relish into sterilised glass bottle or container. Only store in the refrigerator after "concoction" has cooled down.
10. Always use a dry and clean spoon to ensure longer shelf life of relish.

Bon Apetit! purrr....meow!