Nagaland Chutney Hornbill Red Naga Chilli Paste

Method

1. 1

   Dry roast the dried red chilli: Place dried red chilli in a dry pan on medium-low heat. Roast for 1 to 2 minutes until they darken and blister. Remove and cool.

2. 2

   Roast garlic: Dry roast whole garlic cloves in the same pan for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the outer skin darkens and the inside softens. Cool and peel.

3. 3

   Pound the roasted chilli and garlic: In a stone mortar, pound the roasted dried chilli and peeled roasted garlic together. Pound firmly and repeatedly until a rough, textured paste forms. The paste should not be smooth — the rough texture is part of the character.

4. 4

   Add fermented bamboo shoot: Add fermented bamboo shoot to the mortar. Pound together. The fermented bamboo contributes sourness and depth.

5. 5

   Season: Add salt. Pound once more.

6. 6

   Add raw mustard oil: Add 1/2 tsp raw mustard oil. Mix with the spoon — do not pound further. The raw mustard oil adds a sharp finishing note.

7. 7

   Taste and adjust: The chutney should be: very hot from the chilli, pungent from the garlic, sour from the fermented bamboo and sharp from the mustard oil. Adjust each element.

8. 8

   Check texture: The finished Naga chilli paste should be rough — coarse pieces visible, not a smooth paste.

9. 9

   Transfer to a small bowl: Serve in a small bowl alongside any Naga meal.

10. 10

    Store: Keeps at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

11. 11

    Note: Naga chilli paste (known variously as chutney or dip across the Naga hills) is the universal condiment of Nagaland served at every meal, at every food stall during Hornbill Festival and in every Naga home. It varies by tribe and by season depending on what fresh and fermented ingredients are available. The combination of roasted dried chilli, roasted garlic and fermented bamboo is the most common base. This is not a chutney for the faint-hearted — the heat level is genuinely extreme.