Spicy Chunky Oriental Sauce

It is for no reason why Kerala is/was called land of spices; well  more than the spices used, I am talking about our love for spicy food! Kerala cuisine brags about being one of the spiciest in India and coming from this tiny coastal land, it was imperative that I developed a taste for spicy food. Traditional Kerala cooking uses a variety of homemade masalas, most of which are hot for any non-Keralite to bear; however, we literally go by "Athidi Devo Bhawa" concept and whenever cooking for guests, we deliberately bring down the spice level. We hate bland food and people like me, love the spiciness to stay even when we are done with enjoying the food! 

Talking about this sauce - this is something I have been wanting to make for a while now, and I did make a mention of it in my Steam Shirmp & Sausage Wontons posting. So today, I finally made it and paired it with pancakes! Yes, that sounds weird but guarantees total enjoyment. 

This sauce is HOT, to be elaborate my lips were swollen after having my pancakes and the spiciness still stays (and I love that). It is chunky; use it as a spread or a dip for starters and above all, it has a hint of sweetness. I would call it an outburst of flavors!

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 2 small, chopped

Onion - 1 small, chopped

Dried red chilies - 3 (depending upon your spice tolerance level, you can reduce this to 1 or 2)

Garlic - 5 cloves, chopped

Soy sauce - 1 teaspoon

Ketchup - 1/2 tablespoon (if you want it sweet, make it 1 tablespoon)

Coriander leaves - a few springs

Salt - to taste

Olive oil - 2 tablespoon

Preparation:

1. Heat up oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and dried chilies. Saute for a while and add the tomatoes. Add salt and cook until it turns mushy.

2. Add the sauce sauce, stir for a while, followed by ketchup and sprinkle coriander leaves. Remove from heat and let it cool.

3. Transfer the content into a blender and process for half a minute. Leave it a bit chunky. 

4. Transfer to serving bowl and enjoy as a spread or dip.