Schezwan Sauce

Schezwan sauce is a spicy sauce made with dry red chilies, garlic, onion and spices. It is a fusion Indo Chinese recipe of a hot chili sauce. This is one of the most popular sauce recipes from the Indo Chinese cuisine. Schezwan sauce is a versatile red chili garlic sauce and can also be had as a dip.

Ingredients :

• 20 dried red chilies

• 5-6 big garlic cloves chopped

• 1 inch ginger chopped

• 1/2 of an onion chopped (or else 4-5 shallots i.e small onion)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tbsp vinegar (white/ apple cider/ any other)

• 1-2 tsp sugar (i used light brown)

• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce

• 1/4 to 1/2 black pepper powder

• Salt as per taste

• 2-3 tbsp sesame oil or any veg. oil

Method :

• Take around 20 dried red chilies and soak it in water at least for 30 minutes. If you like deseed of some of the chilies before soaking but I didn't as mine aren't that spicy.

• Sieve and keep the water separately. Grind the chilies using 2 - 3 tbsp of that water into a paste.

• In a pan heat the oil. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and sauté till the raw aroma of garlic goes away. Don't let it to turn brown.

• Add the chopped onion and cook till translucent. Then add the the chili paste and sauté.

• Add the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper powder. Mix well and cook till you see oil from the sides of the sauce. Check for the salt and sugar before removing it from the heat.