TIBETAN HOT SAUCE

Tibetan Hot Sauce image

Tibetans dab sepen, a brick-red chile paste, on a plate, and dip momos in, holding them with fingertips. Momos can be the prelude to a meal, or the meal itself.

Provided by Julia Moskin

Time 15m

Yield About 3/4 cup

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 cup whole dried small red chile peppers
1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger

Steps:

If possible, soak chiles overnight in plenty of cold water. If time is short, cover chiles with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and discard soaking liquid.
If using peppercorns, coarsely grind in a mortar or spice grinder
In a blender or mortar, combine all the ingredients with 2 tablespoons of water and grind until smooth (the seeds of the chiles will remain whole). The finished sauce should be as thick as ketchup; thin with water as needed.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 43, UnsaturatedFat 0 grams, Carbohydrate 9 grams, Fat 0 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 11 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams