Chillies! Chillies! More Chillies!

Finally! After the long waiting (almost forgotten), my Cili Padi/bird’s eye chilli tree bloomed and fruiting-still! I’d thrown some over ripe chillies into one of my pots on the balcony after making herbal rice… 2 weeks later I noticed some growth from the spot where the chillies were. Of course, I was happy because if it’s successful it would be my 1st time planting chilli! By then, I had to remove most of the tiny plants and to maintain one healthy tree. I used organic fertiliser (as with my other edible plants) every 2 weeks and watered the plant every 2-3 days.I’d given quite a lot to my Scoville-frenzy neighbours and she’s still blooms happily :-)

Ripe and Unripe Bird's eyes chillies

Fully bloomed Bird's eyes flowers

This is one of the smaller bird’s eye chilli species compared to some varieties which can grow several 4-8 cm long. My chillies averaged about 2-3 cm long… which is 2 thumbs up!!!

Bird’s eye chillies also known in Thailand as Prik Ki Nu Suan… errrrr… Mouse Droppings Chilli??? I drank before Kopi Luwak… this Mouse Droppings chilli? Give me anytime… LOL! Bird’s eye chilli is a must-have in our house menu… You can add into Asian salads, curries, steamed seafood, vegetables,etc or like my mom, she would crushed bunch of them in our family favourite sauce - Budu or simply in bowl of light soya sauce mixed into hot plate of rice. Voila! Another meal tucked into tummy… mmmmmm… :-D Would you believe that there’s even a proverb about this chilli?

• Bird’s Eye Chilli in Malay and Indonesian proverb •

This chili is commonly found in Malaysian and Indonesian markets sold alongside the larger chili. As the small chili turns out to be hotter than the larger counterpart, this often surprises people that don’t expect such a small chili would pack a very hot taste. This is the source of the Malay proverb “Kecil-kecil cili padi” and Indonesian proverb “Kecil-kecil cabe rawit”, which refers to something small in size or stature that contains something unexpected for its size.