Indo Chinese - Schezwan Chilli Sauce

Every Asian cuisine has an individual flavour of chilli sauce. First of my posts in the sauce series is one such variety - the Indo Chinese version of Schezwan Chilli sauce. As the name denotes this sauce takes inspiration from the Schezwan (also known as Sichuan) province in China where it is known for it spicy cuisine. As in any other Indo Chinese recipe this too has been adapted to Indian taste buds. This is such a versatile sauce that goes as a condiment with other finger food (such as Chicken Lollipop) or as a base sauce to prepare Schezwan noodles or fried rice. Am sure this can be used to make other stir fried dishes as well. So without much further ado...

Ingredients

1. Kashmiri Chillies - 1 cup
2. Minced Garlic - 1/2 cup
3. Minced Ginger - 3 table spoons
4. Minced celery sticks - 2 table spoons
5. White vinegar - 2-3 table spoons
6. Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
7. Tomato sauce - 2 table spoons
8. Sugar - 1 tea spoon
9. Salt - 1 tea spoon

Method

1. Soak the chillies in hot water for about 30 minutes.
2. Chop up the garlic, ginger and celery into tiny mince.
3. Once soaked blend the chillies into a smooth paste (with the stalks out but the seeds still intact). If you would like your sauce to be less spicy take away some seeds before you blend them.
4. Heat a wide sauce pan pour the oil and saute the garlic until it slightly turns colour.
5. Add the ginger and celery and saute for a few minutes until the oil separates.
6. Add the blended chilli paste and saute in medium to low heat for about 5-10 minutes until water evapourates. Keep stirring while this happens to ensure the sauce doesn't burn.
7. Close the sauce pan with a lid and let it simmer for another 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
8. Remove the lid, add the vinegar, tomato sauce, sugar and salt and simmer it for another 5 minutes. Feel free to play around with these ingredients until you get your preferred taste - something spicy, tangy and just a hint of sweetness.
9. By now the sauce should be well cooked with oil separating out.
10. Let it cool to room temperature and store it in an air tight glass bottle. 

This can be refrigerated for at least 2 months or frozen (in a ziploc bag) for many more months.

Enjoy!!

C