Thai Chili Paste

Ingredients:

• 6-7 large red Thai chilis
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 large onion (peeled and cut in half)
• 1 large dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the red chilis in half and place them face down on a baking sheet. Place garlic cloves and onion on the baking sheet, insuring that none of the vegetables are overlapping. Bake, without stirring, until chilis begin to blacken in spots, about 15-20 minutes (note: watch them closely and remove if they start to blacken earlier than the recommended). Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Put garlic, chilis, onions and mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely and evenly chopped.
3. Place the chopped vegetables, sugar, water, tamarind paste and vinegar in a small pot over medium heat. If the mixture appears quite dry, add a splash more water so that it can easily come to a simmer.
4. Simmer, stirring frequently (reduce the heat if it begins to boil), until the mixture becomes smooth and thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.