Hot tip

Turn this

... into this.

DH is a bit of "chilli-head" so every year we have to plant some sort of chillis just for fun. This means we end up having various kinds of chilli sauce, pickle and other chilli products.

Including Chocolate-chilli Ice cream which is very yummy. Seriously. It's good.

Although DH is usually the one to concoct the chilli sauce or pickle, this year I decided to use a recipe I got from my Dad. When Dad was a varsity student (back in the 60's), he was matey with an Indian chap out from Delhi. N brought his wife with him and complained to Dad that she was bored. So Dad suggested she teach him Indian cooking and consequently we grew up eating Indian cuisine when most of New Zealand thought "exotic" meant Pizza Hut. This is one of her recipes. I remember when Dad made it we all had to leave the house, (even the cats), because the chilli heat would catch you in the back of your throat. I can assure you that it still has that effect. But it tastes delicious!

2 lbs green chillis (I used whatever came off the bush, red & green)
4 oz salt
1 oz cumin seed
1 oz fenugreek
1/2 pint mustard or olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 oz turmeric

Slit each chilli horizontally on one side and rub in salt. Don't rub your eyes or any other sensitive part after doing this unless you enjoy pain.

Fry slices in 2 T oil and grind in 1/2 cup vinegar.

Heat the rest of the oil and when hot add chillis, cooking about 10 minutes. This is the bit where breathing apparatus is necessary.

Add all spices and cook 1 minute.

Cool and store in a jar.

It is hot of course, but not so hot that you can't taste the flavour. Unlike DH's Habanero sauce from last year which should be entitled Rod's Raging Inferno. Or Burns You Twice Sauce.