Himalayan Chile Sauce

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From one of my far-flung writers, Linda Lynton, this recipe is a basic 
sauce from northern India and Nepal. She noted: “Although this specific 
recipe was given to me by a Patna housewife, some peasants originating 
from a remote Himalayan village in Central Nepal and housewives from an 
equally remote village in North Bihar gave us the same recipe.” Use it 
as a topping for chicken, fish, or vegetables.

Ingredients

 

1 pound fresh green chiles, such as serranos or jalapeños, seeds and 
stems removed,
4 small potatoes, peeled and boiled
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Water as needed

Instructions

 

Combine all ingredients in batches in a blender and process to a fine 
puree, using water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Transplanted Sriracha Sauce

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A table condiment to similar in appearance to ketchup–but much more
pungent–sriracha sauce is named after a seaside town in Thailand.
Increasingly popular, this sauce is found on the tables of Thai and
Vietnamese restaurants all over North America. Fresh red chiles are the
key to the flavor of this recipe.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh red serrano, cayenne, Thai, or chile de arbol chiles,
stems removed
2 1/2 cups rice vinegar (substitute white distilled vinegar)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

Remove the stems from the chiles. Place the chiles and vinegar in a
saucepan and heat to boiling. Turn off the heat and add the sugar and
salt and stir until dissolved. Place the saucepan contents in a food
processor or blender and puree until a smooth thin-paste consistency.
Add additional rice vinegar if the mixture is too thick. Allow the
mixture to steep for several hours, place in glass containers, and
refrigerate. The consistency should be slightly thinner than ketchup.
Or, strain the sauce through sieve and discard the solids for a smooth,
seedless consistency.

Ngapi Ye (Hot Burmese Anchovy Sauce)

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This highly aromatic Burmese sauce is commonly used to heat up Southeast
Asian curries. Shrimp or prawn paste may be substituted for the
fermented dried fish if you can’t find it at the Asian market. In a
pinch, use canned anchovy fillets.

Ingredients

2 cups fermented dried fish or anchovies
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup shrimp powder (available in Asian markets)
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring the fish and water to a boil, then reduce the heat,
simmer for five minutes, and mash the fish. Remove from the heat and
when the mixture cools, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Red Chile Sauce

New Mexico Red Chile Sauce

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The chiles that are traditionally used for Chile Colorado (red chile sauce) are the ones that are plucked off the ristras. Ristras, those strings of dried chiles that adorn houses in New Mexico are not just for decoration they are used for cooking also. This is a basic sauce that is used in any Southwestern recipe that calls for a red sauce such as enchiladas or tamales or as in the above recipe for Posole.

Classic New Mexico Green Chile Sauce

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This all-purpose sauce recipe is from the southern part of New Mexico, 
where green chile is the one of the state's top food crops and is used 
more commonly than the red form. It is a great topping for enchiladas 
and is often served over scrambled eggs. Variations: To thicken the 
sauce, make a roux by sauteing 1 tablespoon flour in 1 tablespoon 
vegetable oil, taking care not to let it burn. Slowly stir the roux into 
the sauce and cook to the desired thickness. Coriander and Mexican 
oregano may be added to taste. For added heat, add more New Mexican 
chiles or a serrano or two.

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds and stems removed, 
chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups chicken broth or water

Instructions

In a pan, saute the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil until soft.
Add the chile, cumin, and water and simmer for 1/2 hour. The sauce may 
be pureed in a blender to the desired consistency.