Cili Padi And Limau

No matter how far or what cuisine we're having one thing we Sabahan can't live without is Chili Padi (bird's eye chili) and Limau(Lime).....tapun.

Give you an example-we had sushi the other day and as my sister and I was busy digging in the wasabi pot and soya sauce my dad ordered for some cilli padi with limau. Unfortunately there was no limau so he settled with lemon instead, asal asam.

Trust me, dinner parties someone is bound to ask, 'Ada lada kah?' (Got Chili). Young or old, women or men, we all crave for the hot and sour dipping sauce. Its are beautiful blend of yin and yang. Lunch, dinner or even breakfast there would always be a small plate of this wonderful palate enhancer in the middle of all the other dishes.

With unripe mango we would cut the bird's eye chili into pieces and mix in the cut up mango strips with a pinch ...no,no 4 pinch of salt or even a little bit more salt, and eat. The burning tongue and the sour juice from the mango always makes your eye twitch. As I am telling this to you my mouth water just the thought of it....yum.

As a WARNING please do not try this hot dipping sauce with so many chili padi if you are just, shall we call a beginner or new to hot taste, I suggest half a chili with 1 or 2 lime with a dash of soya sauce and gradually in the next few days or weeks or month (if you think you can handle it) you can put in more. We were trained young. My sister had her's when she was 4 years but on the other side of the world (Mexico) children have chilli at even younger then 4 years old.

Below are some great chilli recipes the basic (so to speak), if your up to it come try it out. I also write down the rate of the hotness..hot meter. The best chili maker that I know makes the best is my cousin Marilyn...tapun sia sia....but I am still not sure how she makes hers but my guess would be recipe number 2.

1. Bird's eye chili with lime..hot meter 3
Cut up bird's eye chili to small pieces (how many depands on how hot you want) and squeeze 2 lime in a pinch of salt or soya sauce and a pinch of sugar(optional).

2. Bird's eye chilli (blended or punded)...hot meter 7
Pound or blend the chilli and squeeze in a lime or 2 or more untill the mixture becomes a paste. a pinch of salt or soya sauce and te da. Again the amount of chilli all depand on you.

3. Salt Bird's eye chilli....hot meter
Cut or pounded or pressed with the back of your spoon the chili and a few pinches of salt...goes great with sour fruits eg. unripe mago, pineapple, even guava..etc.

These are just a few of my favourites. If anyone have other recipes please email me.