Chilli paste ( Lonumirus)

                                                    

This is more of a condiment. It is eaten alongside milder curries or spread on whole fish or slices and grilled. I sometimes add it into tomato sauces and other pasta sauces to give it a bit of heat, just a tiny bit not too much :).

Makes a small bottle
Preparation time: 10 minutes

8 cloves garlic
4 tsp  red chilli powder or  12 dried red chillies 
1 tsp ground cumin  ( or 1 tsp Cumin seeds)
½ tsp ground black pepper ( about 10- 12  peppercorns)
1 sprig of curry leaves, that's about 12 leaves
1 small shallot or 1/2 a small onion, roughly chopped
Salt ( about 1 tsp)
Juice of 1 lime ( or about 4 fresh billinbi)

1. Place garlic, onion and curry leaves into a pestle and motor or into a blender or spice grinding blender with a little salt and pound or blend to a paste.

2. Add the spices and blend to a fine paste, add a tablespoon of water to help it to blend more easily. Squeeze in the lime juice.

Originally this is done using whole spices and everything is minced together over a stone slab and ground or minced using another smaller stone. Very good exercise for the arms. But it needs to be a smooth paste. You can even do this in a food processor or in a blender, especially a wet grinder will make your life much easier than a motor and pestle.

Ps do not mistake this for the Sri Lankan lonumiris , which is something slightly different.