Make Your Own Unforgettable Fragrant Chili Oil

The ingredients laid out to make fragrant chilli oil. — Homemade Chili Oil is the most fragrant way to spice up any meal. (Image: Jenny Low via Nspirement)

Prepare time: 15 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Ready in: 35 mins

This unforgettable Fragrant Chili Oil is a staple on our Asian dinner table, much like Americans with their ketchup — but this is a healthier option. We use this chili oil to cook vegetables, meat, and seafood, fry noodles, or just drizzle it over almost any meal. It is MSG-free and smells amazing. You could get creative and make twice the amount if you wanted to gift one jar to a neighbor or friend. It’s that good! And not too hard to make at all.

Mix the dry chili and Korean chilli in a bowl. — Mix the dry chili and Korean chili in a bowl. (Image: Jenny Low via Nspirement)

Ingredients

3 shallots
2 fresh chilies
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic
4 star anise
1 stick cinnamon
4 pieces ginger
5 dried chilies
8 pandan leaves
2 Chinese cardamom pods
4 cups oil
1/3 cup crushed chili
1/3 cup Korean crushed chili
1/4 cup crushed Sichuan peppercorn

The secret to making delicious chili oil is to heat the oil hot enough without overheating it. (Image: Jenny Low via Nspirement)

Directions

1. Wash the first 10 ingredients from above. Leave to dry.

2. Mix crushed chili and Korean chili in a bowl.

3. Wash crushed Sichuan peppercorns and drain away water with a sieve. Fry in a pan (no oil) on low heat until it starts to let off a fragrance.

4. Remove and put in a bowl with chilies from step 2 above. Stir in 1 tbsp of oil.

5. Put the remaining oil in a saucepan, mix in all the washed ingredients from step 1 above, and heat on low until it comes to a boil. When oil is fragrant and brown, remove ingredients with a strainer.

6. Take out some oil and mix with chilies from step 4 above. Then slowly stir in the remaining oil so as not to burn the crushed chilies and Sichuan peppercorns.

7. Ready for use.

Chilli oil in jar. — And here is the final product: A large jar of fragrant chili oil – Enjoy! (Image: Jenny Low via Nspirement)

This recipe is spicy hot. Reduce chili amount for a milder version.

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Jenny Low

Jenny is from Malaysia but lives in beautiful Melbourne Australia. When she isn't cooking up a storm in the kitchen, she enjoys spending the time to nurture her garden.

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