This sweet & spicy Schezwan Dipping Sauce is a real treat for spice lovers. It can be used in many Indo Chinese food preparations too. It is excellent with tacos, momos, spring rolls, wontons..
I made some real herbed crisps & knotted sticks to go with this sauce. It was delicious & lip smacking! You may prepare a sufficiently large batch & store it for later use. It is very simple to prepare & first time cooks will find it a breeze. Enjoy this wonderful sauce & serve it at parties as well.. it will definitely make the taste buds come alive!! J
Ingredients :
10-12 dried Red Kashmiri Chillies (deseeded & soaked in water for about 2 hrs.)
10-12 cloves fresh Garlic (finely chopped)
1 inch piece fresh Ginger (finely chopped/grated)
2 med. Onions (peeled & chopped very finely) (optional)
2 tbsps. Red Chilli Sauce
½ tsp. Soya Sauce
2 tsps. Chinese Vinegar
½ tsp. Sugar (or to taste)
Salt to taste
A pinch of Ajinomoto (optional)
1 tsp. Corn Flour (optional) (make a thin paste using some water)
6 tbsps. Sesame Oil/Cooking Oil (or enough oil as desired)
Method :
Remove the soaked chillies from the water & discard the water.
Grind the chillies to a fine, thick & smooth paste using very little fresh water.
In a sufficiently deep pan heat oil; add ginger, garlic, onions & saute well till onions are soft & rawness disappears.
Next add the chilli paste & continue to saute till the oil starts separating.
Then add the soya sauce & red chilli sauce.
Add sugar, ajinomoto & stir well.
Add the corn flour paste & stir well quickly so that it is smooth & not lumpy.
Add vinegar; stir & let it come to a boil.
Switch off the heat & let it cool completely.
Serve as a dipping sauce.
Tips & Variations :
Use sufficient oil as oil acts as a preservative in the sauce when stored for a long time.
Use soya sauce sparingly or the color of the sauce will change.
Adding sugar reduces the pungent flavor.
Use corn flour sparingly or the sauce will turn too thick.
If you prefer a very smooth dipping sauce then grind together chillies, ginger, garlic, onions to a paste & then add it to the hot oil & saute.
