Erra Karam

The defining condiment of Rayalaseema — a coarse, brick-red paste ground from soaked dried red Guntur chillies, garlic, salt, and a little tamarind on a stone grinder, with no cooking and no dilution. 'Erra' means red, 'karam' means spicy; this is the raw concentrated heat paste that is placed on the Rayalaseema plate at every meal. Mixed into rice with ghee, spread on jonna rotte, used to spice up any dish that needs more fire. The paste is made fresh daily or in small batches; its heat level is calibrated to the individual household's tolerance. No Rayalaseema meal is considered properly set without a small mound of erra karam on the plate.