Chilli paste(Sri Lankan style).

chilli paste, that spicy side condiment you add to your Chinese fried rice just to make it extra spicy.

This easy chilli paste recipe needs just 6 ingredients and can be made at home in bulk to last 2-3 months or a smaller portion for you and your family for a few weeks.

Recipes that use chilli paste.

If you are only using the chilli paste as a condiment then here are a few recipes that use it.

Hot butter cuttlefish.

Hot butter-fried mushroom,

Spicy vegetable fried rice

You can add a spoon to your lunch box fried noodles.

Frequently asked questions about chilli paste

• What is kunisso?
  • Kunisso is one-half of the ingredient used to make this chilli paste.
  • Kunisso is basically small or baby shrimp. these come washed and packed so they are easy to use.

• Where can I buy kunisso?
  • They are available on amazon online, you can check it out here.
  • Try the Sri Lankan, Indian or even Thai shops.

• What are the substitutes that I can use instead of Kunisso(dried baby shrimp)?
  • If you find larger dried shrimp simply run them through a blender for a few seconds to break them into smaller pieces.

• How to substitute dried baby shrimp with fresh shrimp?
  • If you are unable to find kunisso(dried baby shrimp)then clean, devein shrimp(frozen shrimp would do as well)and then deep fry them until they are quite crispy.
  • I will write down how to use the deep-fried shrimp in the recipe instructions below.

How much oil to use when making Sri Lankan chilli paste.

Oil in chilli paste works as a way to preserve it for a longer period of time without refrigeration.

For this recipe, I am using just enough oil to fry the ingredients and not adding oil to a point where the chilli paste is completely submerged in it.

But if you prefer it this way just adjust the amount of oil by adding more once the oil quantity on the recipe instruction.

Other ingredients you can add to the chilli paste.

You can add fried onions as well and slivers of fried ginger which are then blended into the chilli paste for added flavour.

Add these to the chilli paste just after frying the minced garlic.

Utensils and appliances needed

Large frying pan.

Storing– use an airtight container and always use a dry spoon. refrigerate when not in use.

Reheating– reheating is not needed, if you’ve refrigerated the condiment just take some and let it reach room temperature before use.

More condiment recipes to try

Sri Lankan Malay pickle

Sri Lankan data and lime chutney

Pineapple chutney(Sri Lankan).

barbecue sauce(spicy bbq sauce)

Sweet and sour sauce.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE NEEDED

How to make chilli paste.

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients to make Sri Lankan chilli paste

1 cup of oil(can increase up to 2 cups if you want it oily)

10 garlic cloves minced

100g of dried small shrimp(kunisso, substitute with fresh shrimp deep-fried)

100g of chilli flakes

1/4 cup sugar(about 4 tablespoons which you can reduce as per your need)

4 tablespoons of soy sauce

Salt to season

Method

Have all your ingredients ready.
If the kunisso are slightly larger, blitz it in a grinder into smaller pieces to avoid turning it into a fine powder.

If you are unable to find dried shrimp then use fresh shrimp. first clean, devein, remove the shell and then deep fry them.

Once this is done, add them to a grinder and blend until you have a somewhat paste-like consistency.

Add(2-3 tablespoons of oil to ease the blending). then add as instructed on the recipe below.

Place pan over low heat and pour in the oil.

Add the minced garlic(10-12 cloves)and fry them over low heat for 30-40 seconds or just long enough until they separate into individual pieces.

Add the dried kunisso(100g, read above on how to substitute with fresh shrimp) into the pan and combine with the frying garlic.

Constantly stir for an even fry while maintaining low heat.

Stir for 3 minutes.

Now add the red chillie flakes(100g).

As you stir and combine the ingredients to make the chilli paste, you’ll notice the oil is absorbed and the chilli paste almost looks dry.

Pour additional oil while stirring(1/4 cup)if you need to.

Add the sugar(1/4 cup) and soy sauce(3 tbsp) and season with salt.

You can adjust the sugar and salt taste as per your need.

Cook for another 2 minutes over low heat. remove from stove. you may notice that the paste is not so oily.

But if you prefer it to be oily, add an additional amount of oil to have the chilli paste submerged in it.

Once cool. transfer to a glass bottle.

For best results let it rest for a day before use.

This is your basic chilli paste recipe.

I would suggest playing around with the quantity of each ingredient(chilli flakes, shrimp)a little every time you make a new batch of chilli paste to come up with your own blend.

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