Sambal Oelek - Condiment

A red hot chilli condiment used mainly to add heat to meals without adding any other flavour at all, wonderful to use with curries! or any other meal you want to add an extra kick to. only a small amount is often required - so be careful!!!

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 2 Jars

Ingredients

• 25  chilies, Red
•  white vinegar (see method)
• 2  teaspoons salt

Directions

1. PREPARATION:
2. Wash the chillies, then just remove the stalks, but not the seeds.
3. Put the whole chillies into the jar of a blender, add about 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar then blend. (Warning, don't lift the lid straight off the blender jar and look in - you could get a major hit of chilli fumes!
4. Let it settle before opening the lid, carefully.) If the chilli paste is too thick and chunky, add a little more vinegar, then blend again: it should become a smooth paste. Then stir in the salt.
5. Keep the finished chilli paste in a sterilised jar in the fridge, ready to use whenever chillies are needed in a recipe. This is an Indonesian style chilli paste, a great way to keep excess chillies you've harvested.
6. It's adapted from 'The Complete Asian Cookbook' by Charmaine Solomon.