Sambal is the generic name given to sauces in Indonesia, and this is the most basic. Nuts, coconut, dried shrimp, sugar, garlic, and other seasonings are often added before using this as a condiment for noodle, rice, and other dishes. If you want a really fiery sambal, leave in the chile seeds.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 3/4 cup

　　1 cup hot fresh chiles, preferably red, stemmed, seeded, and minced

　　6 garlic cloves, minced, optional

　　1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

　　1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

　　1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

　　

Step 1

Use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to blend the chiles, garlic, lime juice, salt, and sugar into a paste. Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to a container with a lid.

　　

Step 2

Stir in the lime zest; add more salt if you like. Serve or cover and refrigerate; this will keep for 2 to 3 weeks. (Bring back to room temperature before serving.)

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.