Ai Manas

Ingredients

Chillies

• 200 gfresh hot red chillies
• or a mix of red and green

Aromatics

• 1 headof garlic, peeled
• 2shallots, peeled
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To finish

• juice of 3 limes
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• 1 teaspoonsugar, optional

Equipment

• a stone mortar
• gloves, for handling chillies
• a clean jar

Directions

1. Wash the board and knife thoroughly afterwards. Work near an open kitchen window. Timorese cooks use small local hot chillies. Adjust the quantity to your own tolerance. Ai manas is meant to be genuinely hot.
2. Pull the stems off each chilli. Leave the seeds in for full heat. Remove them for a milder paste. Rinse them and then pat them dry. Wet chillies make a watery paste. Peel the whole head of garlic. That is a great deal of garlic and it should be. Peel and roughly chop the shallots.
3. Chop the tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds. It keeps for only a few days though. Put the chillies and salt in a stone mortar. Pound them until they break down. The salt helps the pestle grip.
4. Add the garlic and keep pounding. Add the shallots and work them in. Pound until it becomes a rough wet paste. It should stay coarse rather than smooth. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add the pounded paste to the pan. Fry it over a medium heat for five minutes. Stir it constantly as it cooks.
5. Take it off the heat and let it cool. Finishing it is done off the heat. Squeeze in all of the lime juice. Add the sugar if you want to soften the edge.
6. Stir everything through thoroughly. Taste it very carefully indeed. Use the smallest amount on the tip of a spoon. Adjust the salt and the lime juice. It should be hot, salty and sharply sour.
7. Spoon it into a clean glass jar. Cover the surface with a film of oil. That film of oil helps keep it. Use a clean spoon every single time. Serving it is done in a small dish. Set it on the table beside everything else. People take a small amount onto their own plate. Use it sparingly, since it is very strong.

Technique

• Tetum and Portuguese are the official languages of Timor-Leste, and many food names come from Tetum.
• Ai manas varies from household to household and no fixed recipe exists.

Substitutions

• Any hot fresh chilli works, and the quantity is entirely a matter of tolerance.
• Lemon juice can replace lime, though lime is what is used locally.

Variations

• The raw version is sharper and hotter and keeps less well.
• The fried version is mellower and keeps for weeks.
• Some households add ginger or a little shrimp paste.

History

Chilli paste with garlic, lime and tomato found on every Timorese table; the Tetum name simply means hot plant.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ai Manas?

Ai Manas is a sauce & condiment from Timor-Leste: fiery crushed-chili condiment spooned onto everything. Chilli paste with garlic, lime and tomato found on every Timorese table; the Tetum name simply means hot plant.

How long does Ai Manas take to make?

Ai Manas takes 20 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 300 g. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Ai Manas?

Yes, within limits. Any hot fresh chilli works, and the quantity is entirely a matter of tolerance. Lemon juice can replace lime, though lime is what is used locally.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ai Manas?

Pull the stems off each chilli. Leave the seeds in for full heat. Remove them for a milder paste. Rinse them and then pat them dry. Wet chillies make a watery paste. Peel the whole head of garlic. That is a great deal of garlic and it should be. Peel and roughly chop the shallots.