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Stir hot oil into the chili powder to make chili oil

Aromatic Chili Oil

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In Chinese cold dishes, most of them use chili oil, such as garlic white meat in our website, cold chicken, and so on. 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. This aromatic chili oil recipe is very simple and very easy to make in a home kitchen. All we need is some aromatic ingredients, oil, and chili powder. Many chili oil recipes require careful monitoring of the oil temperature, but I will show you a technique we use to save time in a busy, professional kitchen.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Condiments and sauces
Cuisine Chinese cuisine, Sichuan cuisine
Servings 27 servings
Calories 201 kcal

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
 
 

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
    Chpp the aromatic ingredients to simmer in the oil
  • 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
    add water to the chili powder for moisture

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
    Heat the oil for chili oil
  • Next, add ginger, onion, Sichuan peppercorns, spices. Use low heat, simmer for 2 minutes.
    Simmer the aromatics in the oil, being careful not to burn them
  • Then add the green onion and cilantro.
    add the coriander and green onion
  • 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.
    As the aromatics brown, remove them with a strainer. Do not let them burn in the oil.
  • 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
    Stir the hot oil into the chili powder to make chili oil. Do this in four steps.
  • Pour into a dry storage container.
    Pour the chili oil into a jar with a lid, and let stand for 24 hours.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 25gCalories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 49mgPotassium: 69mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 889IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Keyword bay leaf, chili oil, cinnamon, dried chili peppers, ginger, scallions, sesame seeds, star anise
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