Name: Blatjang
Yield: Makes about 2,5 litres (about 2.5 quarts)
Ingredients: 250 g (8 ounces) dried apricots, chopped; 250 g (8 ounces) seedless raisins; 3 litres (12 cups) grape (wine or cider) vinegar; 4 large onions, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 500 g (1 pound) brown sugar; 200 g (6 1/2 ounces) flaked almonds; 30 ml (2 tablespoons) salt; 45 ml (3 tablespoons) ground ginger; 30 ml (2 tablespoons) ground coriander; 30 ml (2 tablespoons) mustard seeds; 10 ml (2 teaspoons) chilli powder

This recipe originally accompanied bobotie.

Before we learned to make our own chutney from ingredients as diverse as apricots, dates, quinces and raisins, blatjang was imported from Java, made from sun-dried prawns and shrimps, which were pounded with a wooden pestle and mortar; and shaped into masses resembling large cheeses.

Blatjang is the pride of Cape Malay-cuisine, and the recipe is one of the oldest around. The name comes from one of the constituents of the Javanese sambal blachang. Early food writer; C Louis Leipoldt, described it as 'bitingly spicy, pungently aromatic, moderately smooth and a very intimately mixed association of ingredients.' There is nothing quite like blatjang to add zest to curries or braaied meat. Adjust the amount of chilli to suit your preference. Blatjang may be stored for up to a year; but refrigerate once the bottle has been opened.

Kitchen Tip:

Use glass canning jars with screw-top lids for this recipe, and sterilize them by boiling them in water for 10 minutes.

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