I'll start with what I made last night to fight off a head cold. Did you know that pound for pound, red chilies have more vitamin c than oranges? In fact, ascorbic acid was first isolated from Hungarian paprika peppers... and earned a goulash-loving chemist a Nobel prize!
We're gonna travel to equatorial West Africa for this one. It's a thick , savory, spicy paste that goes with just about everything. It's called sh*to, yes that is an i in there, I fear the Politeness Bot. : )
Start by getting your onion paste cooking, because it takes a while:
2 large onions, peeled, chopped, and run through a blender with the minimum water needed to blend
1/2 cup red palm oil
1 heaping tsp each ginger and black pepper
At least 1/4c Korean chili powder (Korean chili is the highest quality I've ever found, no seeds or ribs, all flavor, good balance if heat). If you like it really hot, use a full cup, and add a couple minced scotch bonnets, but watch out for the frying fumes, its like getting maced!
Put all this in a heavy saucepan and start cooking down. Use low-medium heat and stir frequently.
When it's reduced by half, add a can of tomato paste, a tin of boneless smoked herrings, minced , 2 heaping tablespoons shrimp powder (I had to skip it due to my best friend being deathly allergic, but this is an essential part of the flavor profile. Lobster boullion paste also works, or a small amount of red miso paste at the very last step- gotta get that umami from somewhere!), 3 maggi cubes, 1 tbsp soy sauce, a pinch of smashed aniseed or fennel if you don't have any, and a teaspoon each rosemary and thyme.
Whisk this all together and watch it like a hawk. You're going to slowly cook it down until the oil breaks out, the color darkens, and the solids hold together like bread dough. This takes some time. If it sticks, add more palm oil. It's okay, you'll see what all the extra oil is for later.
When it's a mahogany color, add a pinch of sugar (up to a half teaspoon, doesn't need much), taste for salt ( should be VERY salty), then stir in another couple tablespoons chili. Why? Because the chili flavor changes during cooking, and having both uncooked and slow cooked chili in there broadens the profile.
Pack into jars and make sure there's an unbroken, thick layer of oil on top. You need this to prevent spoilage. If there's not enough, add some now. Never double dip into the jar. Take out what you need with a clean spoon, then re- melt the oil if you have to before putting it back in the fridge. It also freezes well.