Ketjap Manis

This is an Indonesian sauce that I could not find at any stores around here--not even in an Asian Food Market. So I googled a recipe to make it on my own. It's an interesting process, kind-of like making candy, but not as difficult. I needed it for my Samoan Chop Suey recipe, which I will post if it ends up tasting good. Here are the ingredients, plus water.

Ingredients:

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup water

3/4 cup soy sauce

7 TBSP dark molasses

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp ground coriander (I used ground cumin instead)

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine sugar and water in 2 quart saucepan.
2. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly just until sugar dissolves.
3. Increase heat to high and continue cooking until syrup reaches 200 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer 3 minutes. It ends up being a thick, dark syrup.
6. This will keep 2-3 months tightly covered in the refrigerator.
7.