Indonesian Sambal Sauce

This sauce is really hot, but the sweetness plays off the heat very well. Use as a general condiment like Thai Sriracha sauce.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 3/4 cup

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  small  dried hot red chili pepper, stemmed and seeded (even better if you can find them bottled in brine instead of dried)
• 1  small onion, coarsely chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1  teaspoon salt (omit if you use brined chilies)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend at high speed until ingredients are well chopped and blended.
3. Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
4. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce is reduced by half, around 10-15 minutes. Sauce should be thick and uniform.
5. Pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature.
6. Enjoy!