Schezuan Sauce (Chinese)

A treat for spice lovers! Use the variety of chillies like Kashmiri or Begdi which are rich in colour and not very spicy.

Preparation Time: 5 mins.
Cooking Time: 5 mins.
Makes 3/4 cup.

Ingredients
12 to 15 whole dry kashmiri red chillies, soaked in warm water
2 tbsp chopped garlic
6 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt

Method
Drain out all the water from the chillies and discard it.
Grind all ingredients except the oil in a blender to a fine paste. Keep aside.
Heat the oil to smoking point and pour over the chilli-garlic paste. Mix well, allow it to cool and store refrigerated in an air-tight container.
Use as a dipping sauce.

Tips
Select bright red chillies for a rich flavoured sauce.