Ema Datshi

Method

1. Pull the stalks from 100 g of large green chillies and slit each one lengthways down one side, leaving it whole and hinged. Shake out some seeds if you want it milder, but a true ema datshi keeps them. Slice 60 g of onion into thick petals and crush 2 cloves of garlic flat with the side of a knife.
2. Put the chillies, onion and garlic in a small heavy saucepan with 120 ml of water, 1 tsp of vegetable oil and 0.5 tsp of salt. There is no frying stage in the traditional method — everything boils together.
3. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then cover, drop to a steady low simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until the chillies have gone olive-drab and floppy and the onion is translucent. Keep the lid on so the liquid does not boil away; you want about half of it left.