Check out this quick recipe to make Chilli Oil at home

When it comes to Chinese cuisine, it is spicy and flavourful. Condiments are a very important part of this cuisine and enhance the flavours of various dishes including noodles, dumplings, fried rice and whatnot. One such indispensable condiment of Chinese cuisine is chilli oil. Chilli oil is a combination of red pepper flakes and oil. 

It has a bright red hue and is extremely spicy in taste. It is a staple in Chinese cuisine and goes well with almost any Chinese dish. You can make this incredibly delicious oil at home in just 5 steps by following the recipe given below.

Step 1

To begin with, mix ¼ cup of chilli flakes, 1 tbsp chilli powder, ½ tsp salt and 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds in a bowl. 

Step 2

Now heat 1 cup of cooking oil in a pan and add 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 star anise, 1 piece Chinese cinnamon/cassia cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1 Chinese black cardamom, 2 stalks of spring onion and 2 slices of ginger to it.

Step 3

Cook these ingredients over low heat. Turn off the heat when the spring onion starts turning brown. You don’t want to burn any of the ingredients as then the burnt taste will overpower the chilli oil. 

Step 4

Now pour the oil through a sieve into a bowl and discard the ingredients. Take the prepared mixture of chilli flakes and sesame seeds and add it to the bowl. Mix well. 

Step 5

Let the oil rest for around 12 hours or more to let the flavours combine properly. Store the oil in a bottle or a jar and refrigerate.

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