Drool Aunty Pi, drool....
Dear Aunty Pi,
I'd like to ask you a question. Why can't you eat bird chili? I think it's the most delicious, delectable, and delightful fruit on earth. Okay, let's not start an argument whether chili is a fruit or a vegetable. What I know is it can be used to add zing to any savoury dish. Of course, there are people who swear by chocolate coated chilies too.
Anyway, remember those surplus from our garden? We've harvested more chilies last weekend. The problem with the chili plants is that once one starts to fruit, the rest follow suit. And we have seven of them.
Well, blame Yummy Mummy and Andrea. They suggested that we pickle or preserve this manna from heaven. So, here's our version of pickled chili.
Pickled Bird Chilies a la Angelina
Ingredients: (to make one 1/2 liter jar)
100g fresh bird chili
Please discard the stems and wash thoroughly. Beware of cat fur...
1 cup vinegar
We tried this delightful Middle Eastern red vinegar.
2 tsp dill seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 bulb garlic, sliced
The dill seeds come from our garden too. Mustard seeds and garlic - from the shops...teeheehee...
1 cup sugar (we use brown, not white)
Method:
Bring vinegar, sugar and spices to a boil and simmer about 7 minutes to a light syrup.
The red vinegar and brown sugar combine to give a nice caramel colour to the syrup.
Put one layer of bird chilies in jar.
No need to cook the chilies. They go into the jar raw.
Add sliced garlic.
Layering chilies and garlic in jar is supposed to spread the flavours.
Cover with syrup and cover with tight lid.
Mama bought the jar at Ikea!!!
Refirigerate for at least 3 days before serving. Try it with char kuey teow or fried noodles or soup noodles. Itadakimasu! purrr...meow!
