Vegetarian Sweet Sour Chilli Sauce

This chilli sauce was taught to me by an elderly neighbour.  She says the sauce goes well with plain white rice, fried rice, noodles and even fresh vegetable salads.  Yummy for vegetarian diet this year which falls on 15th October until 23rd of the month.  This period is the annual 9-day Taoist festival that requires devotees to observe a strict vegetarian diet to cleanse and purify their bodies.
This period also coincides with the Hindu vegetarian festival called 'Navarathi' [see here for more info].   They observe a strict vegetarian diet, pray and fast.  Navarathi is a celebration to worship the supreme goddess Sakhti in her various forms.  Hindus also offer daily prayers, fruits, flowers and coconuts to the goddess.

Here are the ingredients and  preparation.  This sauce keeps long when refrigerated.

Ingredients

300 gm red chillies - desseded - cut small pieces

25 gm bird's eye chilli  - cut

150 gm young ginger - cut small pieces

2 piece wild ginger flower - cut small pieces

100 gm vegetarian fine glutten pieces

5 tbsp fine tau cheong [I used miso paste]

 2 tbsp chilli paste

100 limau kasturi juice

150 - 170 gm sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt to taste

450 ml water

1 cup oil

1. Blend together the chillies, ginger and wild ginger flower until fine.
2. Heat oil in wok to fry tau cheong [or miso] until aromatic.  Add in blended ingredients and chilli paste.
3. Fry until oil separates.  Add in seasoning to taste [if using tau cheong, less salt is  needed] and fine glutten pieces.
4. Stir fry for several seconds then add in water.  Bring to a boil then simmer until oil surfaces.
5. Add in lime juice.  Taste to adjust seasoning.  Bring to a boil and dish out to cool before storing or serve.