Sweet and Spicy Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Contributed by Charles Phan

In a large mortar, pound the chopped garlic with the chile. Add the sugar and mash the ingredients to a paste, adding a few drops of the rice vinegar, as needed, to moisten the mixture. Pound until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the remaining rice vinegar along with the fish sauce and the water and transfer the dipping sauce to a bowl.

Make Ahead The dipping sauce can be refrigerated overnight.