Ingredients:
- Dried chili peppers (depending on desired spiciness)
- Vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower oil or peanut oil)
- Optional: Garlic cloves, ginger pieces, star anise or other spices to taste
Step-by-step instructions:
-
Prepare chili peppers:
- Wash the dried chili peppers thoroughly and let them dry.
- You can remove the stems to make the oil less spicy, or leave them on if you like it extra spicy. -
Prepare oil:
- Choose a high-quality vegetable oil that has a neutral flavor to better bring out the spiciness of the chilies.
- Pour the oil into a saucepan and heat it slowly over medium heat. You need enough oil to completely cover the chilies. -
Add chili peppers:
- Once the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the prepared dried chili peppers.
- If you want, you can also add some additional spices such as garlic cloves, ginger pieces or star anise to give the oil a special flavor. -
Simmer oil:
- Simmer the chilies in the oil over low heat. This will allow the chilies' aroma to infuse into the oil.
- You can adjust the heat as needed to achieve your desired spiciness. The longer you simmer the chilies, the more intense the chili oil will be. -
Allow to cool and store:
- Once the oil has reached the desired spiciness and the chilies are lightly browned, remove the pot from the heat and let the oil cool down.
- Pour the cooled oil through a sieve or fine cloth into a clean bottle or jar to remove the chilies and spices.
- Close the bottle tightly and store the chili oil in a cool, dark place. It will keep for several months.
You can now use your homemade chili oil to season various dishes. Be sure to use it sparingly, as it can be quite spicy. Happy cooking!
