Jeow Maklen - A Chilli Jam chutney from Laos

by Chris Lamont
(Luang Prabang - Laos )

A delicious tomato chutney with a BBQ/smokey flavour. Jeow Maklen is delicious served with steamed veg, fish, pork, cheese or even as a pizza base.

Ingredients:

• 5 red chillis - with or without seeds (or more it's up to your personal taste)


• 14 Large cloves of garlic - peeled


• 2 large brown onions - peeled


• 1 teaspoon of salt


• 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (any Asian supermarket sells this)


• 1/2 lime - juice only


• 1.5 kg ripe red tomatoes

Preparation

1. Leave the peeled garlic whole. Cut onions into quarters, then quarters again! Leave the chillis whole until cooked.

2. Place garlic, onions & chillis under the grill or on the BBQ. You could use the grill or bake them if you don't have a BBQ. Cook them until they are beginning to blacken. Chillis will go black first, so take them out first.

3. Core the top of the tomatoes, cut into quarters. Cook in a saucepan until there is virtually no moisture left, stirring regularly so they don't burn.

4. Place the ingredients in a blender or use a wand blender (unless you are a traditionalist then get to work with the pestle & mortar. Blend until the mixture is well blended bit still abit chunky.

5. Taste, you might want to add more fish sauce or even some sugar. If it's tangy you want, add more lime.

Refrigerate. It will keep in the fridge for about 3 months, but mine never lasts that long.