Pandu mirapakaya pachadi

Step 1: Prepare the jar: wash jar and lid in hot soapy water, rinse well, then stand the jar upside down in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes (or boil jar and lid for 10 minutes and let them dry upside down). Let it cool completely; jar, lid, bowls and spoons must be bone dry, because a single drop of water is the usual reason a pickle goes mouldy.

Step 2: Wipe each of the 1 ⅛ lb fresh ripe red chillies with a dry cloth (wash only if dusty, then dry for at least 3 hours on a towel). Pull off the stalks and chop into 2 cm pieces; keep the seeds. Wear gloves.

Step 3: In a dry steel or glass bowl, mix the chopped chillies with 3 ½ oz seedless tamarind, 2 ⅛ oz coarse salt and 1 tsp ground turmeric. Pack into the dry jar, press down, cover and leave at cool room temperature for 2 days, stirring once a day with a dry spoon. The chillies soften and release a red, salty juice that wets the tamarind.

Step 4: Dry-roast 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds in a small pan over a medium-low heat, shaking, until it turns a shade darker and smells like maple, about 2 minutes. Cool and grind to a powder.

Step 5: Grind the chilli-tamarind mix to a coarse paste in a dry grinder jar in short pulses, without any water. Some flecks of skin and seed should remain. Stir in the fenugreek powder.

Step 6: For the tempering, heat ½ cup gingelly (sesame) oil in a small pan over a medium heat until it shimmers. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds; when it crackles, add 1 tsp urad dal and 3 dried red chillies and stir until the dal is golden, about 1 minute. If using 8 garlic cloves, add it now and fry 1 minute until pale gold.

Step 7: Turn off the heat and stir in ½ tsp gluten-free asafoetida; it should foam briefly. Let the tempering cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Step 8: Pour the cold tempering over the chilli paste and mix with a dry spoon. Spoon into the clean jar and smooth the top; a thin layer of oil should sit over the paste. Top up with a little extra sesame oil if needed.

Step 9: Leave 1 day for the flavours to settle, then keep in the fridge for up to 6 months, using a clean dry spoon every time. Throw it away if you see fuzzy mould, it fizzes or smells rotten, the texture turns slimy, or the lid bulges.