This is a type of chilli oil that’s commonly found in Chinese restaurants, as a condiment for Chinese and/or Cantonese dishes like dim sum, noodles, pork dumplings etc. They are typically marked by the tremendous amount of oil in which the chilli flakes are soaked. My first version here includes part dried and part fresh chilli. I’m already planning to make a 2nd version which uses even more dried chilli to see if it makes for an even more authentic Cantonese chilli oil recipe. 😉
Ingredients:
- Shallot: 250g
- Garlic: 100g
- Dried chilli: 150g (soaked in water 1 hr before blending)
- Chili padi: 100g
- Dried shrimp: 100g (soaked in water 1 hr before blending)
- Maggi chicken stock cube: 2
- Canola/peanut/vegetable oil: 700 ml
- Sugar: 6 tbsp
- Salt: 4 tbsp
Method:
- Blend shallots, garlic, chillies, dried shrimp & chicken cubes together.
- Fry blended ingredients for 10 min in heated wok, till ingredients are drier.
- Add 500ml oil, sugar & salt.
- Continue stirring for 20 – 30 min till mixture becomes dark red.
- Add remaining oil. Leave to cool down before storage.
Trick:
- To force the moisture out of the blended ingredients, fry them on high heat at the first stage. This reduces its ‘wetness’ – the key characteristic of Cantonese chilli oil (oily but dry).
Serving:
4 medium jars (as shown in photo on the left)
Fiery rating:
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