Homemade chili oil (油泼辣子)
Magically delicious and extremely versatile, chili oil is a pantry staple you ought to have in a Chinese kitchen. Making it from scratch is easy!
- Prep time
- 3 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 1 serving
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- ¼ cup chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon ground chili (see note 1 & 2)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)
- 1 teaspoon black rice vinegar (or soy sauce)
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorn (See note 3)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 star anise
- 1 piece cassia cinnamon (aka Chinese cinnamon)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tsao-ko (aka Chinese black cardamom (optional))
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 stalks scallions (aka green onion, spring onion)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, mix chili flakes, ground chili, salt, sesame seeds and black rice vinegar (or soy sauce). Have another deep, dry, heat-proof bowl ready (see note 4). Place a fine mesh strainer over it.
- 2
Pour oil into a small pan/pot. Add all the spices and aromatics. Simmer over low heat. Watch attentively. Turn off the heat immediately when the scallions turn brown (It took me about 20 minutes). Test the temperature with a thermometer (it needs to reach 350°F/175°C). Alternatively, drop in a few chili flakes to test. The oil is hot enough if they bubble and spin immediately.
- 3
Pour the oil into the empty bowl through the strainer. Discard everything caught in the sieve.
- 4
Add half of the chili mixture to the oil. You should see it bubbling intensively. Add the remaining when the bubbling calms down. Stir well with a clean dry spoon.
- 5
Leave to cool uncovered. Then transfer to a container of your choice. Wait for at least 12 hours before using it to allow all the flavors to combine.
- 6
Storage: The lifespan of chili oil is about 2 months in the kitchen cupboard (dry, cool and away from direct sunlight) and about 6 months in the fridge.
- 7
Usage: Both the oil and the chili flakes are for consumption. Use a clean spoon to stir well before serving. If your dish requires pure chili oil, use a strainer to filter out the chili and sesame seeds.