Red Chile Sauce

Those that know me, or those that have been with 28 Cooks for awhile, know that I absolutely adore hot spicy foods. I recently purchased some dried red chilies to make the Cilantro Potato Salad. Unfortunately, they were only sold in a large container, so I've since been trying to find things to do with the leftovers.
I haven't made a new hot sauce in a bit, and I wanted to try and capture the smokiness of the dried chilies. This sauce is quite flavorful and has its own personality, so it would be perfect as a sauce over beans, enchiladas, rice, or a million other things.



Red Chile Sauce
2 1/4 c water
15 dried thai chilies
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Place water and chilies in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to soak for 45 minutes. Place chilies and 1 cup of soaking liquid in blender or food processor. Process for 2-3 minutes. Turn into a sieve and rub through sieve into bowl to eliminate small bits of peel. Rinse blender with an additional 1 cup soaking liquid and pour over remaining pulp in sieve.
In small saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, and saute 30 seconds. Add flour, and whisking well, cook for 1 minute. Slowly add pepper liquid and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, until thick. Allow to cool, and serve over rice, beans, or anything that could use a little spiciness.