Making your own homemade chili oil is so easy and so rewarding. Even seeing the hot oil bubble up is super
satisfying and the smells that takes over your kitchen is heavenly. Unlike some of the chili oils at the grocery store this one doesn't have any preservatives or msg. You control what goes into it and you can also add tons of different spices and aromatics to make it your own. I kept mine pretty simple with just a few staple ingredients... of course I upped the amount of garlic though! Garlic is the bomb dot com.
Here is a list of other ingredients that you can add if you're feeling like getting experimental:
Add these to the red pepper mix:
shallots
peanuts
small cubes of tofu
onion
sesame seeds
shredded dried shallots
Add these to the hot oil & take out or strain any big pieces you don't want to eat whole before pouring over the chilies.*
bay leaf *
Sichuan peppercorns
star anise *
cardamom *
cinnamon stick *
black pepper
Things to note:
- You will be dealing with very hot oil so please be careful and make sure that all your utensil and bowls can handle hot heat. No plastic bowl or utensils!!!
- Depending on the kind of pepper you have, whether it is whole like mine or you bought them already chopped up for you, be careful breathing in too much chili powder. If you happen to swallow too much chili powder, stop and drink tons of liquid. Preferably some milk.
- If you have chilies like mine that need to go into the food processor to be broken down a bit, let all the chili powder settle before you open up your food processor/blender. This will minimize any risk of swallowing chili powder.
- Do not touch your eyes or any sensitive parts of your body like your face or any open cuts or wounds. If this happens, dousing or soaking all affected areas in animal milk will help subdue the pain.
Homemade Chili Oil
Ingredients:
2 cup of dried red chili peppers
4 cloves of garlic, peeled & minced
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1 tablespoons of finely chopped scallion, whites only
2 tablespoons of chives, chopped finely
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2/3 cup of oil
Instructions:
In a medium or large sized glass bowl add in the chilies, minced garlic, minced ginger, minced scallions, finely chopped scallions, finely chopped chives, salt and sugar.
Add the oil to a small pot and bring to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer and be careful when handling hot oil!
Slowly pour the hot oil into the dried red chili mix. Let everything bubble away and enjoy the delicious garlicky and peppery aroma.
Once the bubbling has subsided, give it a mix to combine everything and let it come down to room temperature. Scoop all the contents into a glass jar and save in the fridge for up to 1 year.
Check out my Instagram @threehungrybellies for more pictures!