Homemade Crispy Chili Oil
Crispy Heat from Sichuan Cuisine
Crispy chili oil from Sichuan cuisine is simply a fantastic condiment that pairs perfectly with noodles and dumplings, and works just as well as a topping for soups. It is spicy, packed with umami, and made utterly irresistible by crispy fried shallots and crushed peanuts. Simply put: really good stuff.
Anne fell for “Crispy Chili Oil” or “Xiāng Là Cuì” (香辣脆), as the oil is called in China, at the start of the year — and since then a jar barely lasts a few days at our place. When my old cooking buddy Fischi, also a big fan, suggested making our own chili oil from scratch, I was immediately on board.
We looked at various recipes and combined the best of them. I’ve written up the essence of that process here for you. If you have the option to prepare the crispy chili oil outdoors, I strongly recommend it. Your airways will thank you.
You should prepare all ingredients thoroughly in advance so the cooking process goes smoothly later. Even though you’d theoretically have enough time during the fifteen minutes the shallots are frying, I’ve structured the recipe so that all ingredients are prepared at the start.
The finished chili oil develops its full intensity over time. The longer it sits, the spicier and more aromatic it becomes. I therefore recommend waiting about two weeks before opening the jars for the best result. Stored in an airtight jar, the oil keeps for several months.
Ingredients for five jars
- 100g (3.5 oz) dried Sichuan chilies
- 30g (1 oz) fresh ginger
- 200g (7 oz) shallots
- 2 bulbs Chinese garlic
- 50g (1.75 oz) roasted peanuts
- 3 star anise
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 2 tsp cumin
- 3 tbsp Sichuan pepper
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 5 tsp salt
- 500ml (17 fl oz) peanut oil
Instructions
Please prepare all ingredients first so the cooking process goes more smoothly later!
Preparation
- Peel the shallots and cut into thin rings
- Peel the garlic and chop into small pieces
- Crush the star anise, cumin, and Sichuan pepper individually in a mortar
- Cut the ginger into thin strips
- Roughly chop the peanuts
- Halve the cardamom pods and remove the shells
- Process the dried chilies into coarse flakes in a food processor. Do not grind too finely — there should still be recognizable pieces
Spice Mix
- Add the chili flakes together with the ginger, cardamom, star anise, cumin, Sichuan pepper, peanuts, sugar, and salt to a large, heatproof bowl
- Mix everything well
Frying the Shallots
- Heat the oil in a wok or pot
- Test with a toothpick whether the oil is forming small bubbles
- Once this is the case, carefully add the shallots to the oil
- Ignore the steam created by the water escaping from the shallots
- Fry the shallots for about fifteen minutes until golden
- Skim off the fried shallots and let them cool on paper towels
Pouring the Oil
- Add the garlic to the still-hot oil
- Fry for a few minutes until golden
- Very carefully pour the hot oil together with the garlic over the chili-spice mixture — watch out for splashes
- Stir the mixture well and let it cool slightly
- Stir in the fried shallots
Filling the Jars
- Let the oil cool completely at room temperature. This can take a good hour
- Sterilize the jars and lids by boiling them to kill any germs
- Fill the cooled chili oil into the sterilized jars and seal airtight
