In Chinese cold dishes, most of them use chili oil, such as pork belly in garlic sauce, cold shredded chicken salad, and other recipes on our website. These cold dishes all require the use of chili oil, which makes a dish bright and beautiful in color and makes the dish look more appetizing. Besides cold dishes, we can also use chili oil for other dishes. When you want to eat spicy noodles, you can add some chili oil to the noodles. The aromatic Chinese chili oil we will make today is very simple and very easy to make in a home kitchen. All we need is some flavorful ingredients, oil, and chili powder.
The chili oil I make is not salty, just spicy and fragrant. If you want to get a flavorful chili oil, you can add just the right amount of salt to the chili powder. If you really like scent, you can use more aromatic ingredients.
Finding Chinese chili powder
In the US, we have had best results with the Mala Market’s ground chili mix. These are authentic Chinese peppers of three types: xiao mi la, er jing tiao, and chao tian jiao. Using Mexican or commercial supermarket chili powders is not recommended, as the flavor of these peppers is very different from the Chinese varieties. However, the Mala Market’s offering does not include sesame seeds, so if you want the sesame flavor, add 1 to 2 tbsp of sesame seeds (according to taste) and mix evenly.
Aromatic Chili Oil
Equipment
- 1 pan for heating oil
- 1 heat proof dish for mixing the oil and chili powder
- 1 clean glass jar with lid for storage
- 1 spoon for stirring
Ingredients
- 80 grams chili powder mixed with sesame seeds
- 2 pieces star anise
- 3 grams cinnamon
- 3 grams Sichuan peppercorns
- 4-6 slices ginger
- 1 bunch coriander (cilantro)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 small red onion
- 2 scallions
- 580 grams peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or lard (about 2 2/3 cups)
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
- Wash the green onions and cilantro and wipe dry or dry with a salad spinner. Slice the ginger and dice the onion. (DO NOT add wet ingredients to the oil: the water will boil to steam in the hot oil and cause spatters.)4-6 slices ginger, 1 bunch coriander (cilantro), 2 scallions, 1 small red onion
- Pour the chili powder into a clean heat-proof bowl, add a small amount of water and stir well to keep the chili powder moist. (See notes.)80 grams chili powder mixed with sesame seeds
Cooking:
- Add the oil to the pot, and heat over low to medium heat to 90°-120° C (194°-248° F).2 pieces star anise, 3 grams cinnamon, 3 grams Sichuan peppercorns, 4-6 slices ginger, 1 bunch coriander (cilantro), 3 bay leaves, 1 small red onion, 580 grams peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or lard, 2 scallions
- Next, add ginger, onion, Sichuan peppercorns, spices. Use low heat, simmer for 2 minutes.
- Then add the green onion and cilantro.
- Simmer the aromatic ingredients in the oil for about 20 minutes. When the ingredients in the hot oil are browned, remove and discard. Do not let the oil get hot enough to burn the aromatics, or they will make the oil bitter. They should brown slowly.
- Pour ¼ of the hot oil in the pan into the chili powder and stir for 3-5 minutes. If the oil is too hot (causing the chili powder to turn very dark), add some cold oil to lower the temperature. Add another quarter of the oil to the chili powder and stir for a few minutes. Repeat two more times, stirring well after each oil pour.80 grams chili powder mixed with sesame seeds, 580 grams peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or lard
- Pour into a dry storage container.
- Let the chill oil stand for 24 hours before using.
Notes
- The effect of adding water to the chili powder is to avoid the heat of the hot oil from blackening the chili powder. This is a technique we learned in culinary school to save time. Without moistening the chili powder, you must carefully observe the temperature of the oil using a thermometer to avoid burning the ground chilies.
- Simmering aromatic ingredients in the oil infuses the oil with flavor, so that the chili oil will also have aroma after the preparation is completed. Heat the oil slowly, so that the garlic and other ingredients brown slowly. Do not heat the oil to smoking, and do not burn the ingredients.
- Divide the hot oil into the chili powder four times, and stir each time you pour the hot oil, so that the chili powder is evenly heated. The chili powder will sizzle when you first add the oil. Stir constantly. When the sizzling stops, add more oil.
- Using a dry container will give chili oil a longer shelf life.
- Let it sit for 24 hours to allow the aroma of the oil to blend better with the spiciness of the chili powder.
- In the US, we have had best results with the Mala Market’s ground chili mix. These are authentic Chinese peppers of three types: xiao mi la, er jing tiao, and chao tian jiao. However, the Mala Market’s offering does not include sesame seeds, so if you want the sesame flavor, add 1 to 2 tbsp of sesame seeds (according to taste) and mix evenly.
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