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The practice of making jams is an ancient one, dating back as early as the 16'" centur y There is a lot of hi srorical debate about the origin of this process, but i t i s believed to bave started in the i\fiddJe East, where cane sugar grows naturall y: Sugar was first discovered in Asia, but there i s no documented evidenc e of jamm aki n g from this region. It was the Arab traders who introduced jams to European society and since then, the popul arity of this sweet preserve has risen tQ become the multi -billion dollar m arket chat it is today:

It is believed that the idea behind making a jam or a n y fruit preserve began with a r e al need to preserve food. Befor e the ad vent of refrigeration, this was a key m ethod to keep fruit and s<:> m e vege tab les from spoiling.

What is a jam? As per the culinary d efini ti o n , a jam is prepared b y usi ng the pulp and juice of a whole frui t (crushed or chopped) which is then h eated with water and sugar This pmcess releases peccin, which gives the jam i ts je lly-like consistency, and the h igh co ncentracion of sugar acts as the preservative. These days, artifi c ial pectin is added to jams to boosr its commercial value whicb detracts the natural taste and sweetness of the fruit, making it unhealthy for our bod y in the long run.

Jam s were considered to be a royal delicacy in early E uropean society an d were ofte n prepared Ltsing di e choicest of fruit grown in d1e royal garden or orchards Today, it ha s become the co mm on man's food and you can find so man y different varieties of jams on our supermarket aisles made widi almost every kind or combination of fruit.

Chilli jam - smmds quite retro, doesn't ir? And probab ly th e last ingredient that we might iliink of using to make a jam. Though this may sound quite contemporary and a m odern twist to traditional fruit jam, it is not so. Ch illi jam is actually a traditional preparation of Soudi Africa, especially from the Cape Town region.

INDIAN LINK

When you hear die word 'chilli,' all you can chink of is fiery hotness burning your tongue

But chilli jam is a revelation, a burs t of Aavours fo r those who have never e,xp eriencecl it before A jam which trul;• captures the real flavour and texture of chilli, wi d1out i cs fier y heat.

Bo th tbe red and g reen varieties can be used to prepare ili is jam, di ough the red one gives a more delectable appearance w hen made into a jam. It is imp orca n t that you u se o nl y the b ig chilli varieties, since these have relatively less heat. The smaller o n es usually pack a punch and can land

8 big, r ipe red ch illies, sliced or chopped fi n e 2 shalJots; sliced or chopped fine ½ cup brown s ugar; aci d more for extra sweetness

A p in ch of salt

2 cups of water you in some serious 'hot' trouble!

Pick out ripe, yet firm chillies to make this jam. Th e pith and seeds n eed not be rem oved as this im parts just the right amount of heat, making this jam a spicy sweet o ne But i f you are a little wary or doubtful abour the beat quotient., men rake off die pitb and seeds Yo u could e ither slice the chillies into reaU y thin juliennes or finely chop chem up - the differen ce is o n ly in d1e appearance of the end product.

Here 's how rou make chi s quirky South African jam.

Add aU the ingredients ro a pan and bring to boil Reduce h eat and cook till the sugary wate r begins co thicke n and fo rm s a syrup coating the chillies and s hallots. Cool and stor e in an aircighr cornainer. Can be refrigera ted for up to a month

Traditionall y, d1e chilli jam is served as an accompaniment to grilled meats or fried fish. But it i s a wonderful accompartimenr to many lndian s tarters like potato tikki.r, vegetable cutl ets, p11koras and other sn acks. It is amaz ing when spread inside a grilled cheese sandwich; a s,veeter spin to the Indian chilli cheese roast!

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