Sepen (Tibetan Hot Sauce)

• 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

1. If possible, soak chiles overnight in plenty of cold water.
2. If time is short, cover chiles with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes.
3. Drain and discard soaking liquid.
4. If using peppercorns, coarsely grind in a mortar or spice grinder
5. 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).
6. The finished sauce should be as thick as ketchup; thin with water as needed.

red chile peppers, sichuan, fresh cilantro, garlic, ginger

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12315 (may not work)