I’m obsessed with spicy food. It probably has to do with my Indian/Armenian background and the fact that spicy food is just normal food to my family. Yes, I am definitely one of those people who carries a mini jar of hot sauce in her purse. Which is why this sesame chili oil recipe has become a staple in my house. It’s one of those many mysterious jars I have hanging out in the back of my fridge, and I can’t even remember how many years ago I first made it.
I always like to use a combination of fresh chilies and dried chilies or chili oil in my cooking. Because of the spices in this oil, it’s not just useful for adding extra heat. It’s absolutely packed with flavor, adding a rich, slightly mouth-numbing yet spiced kick to all of your favorite dishes. I love putting this oil on top of my Ayurvedic Kitchari or South Indian Sambar. It also goes really well on any type of eggs, sandwich, or meat. Honestly, there’s not much that doesn’t taste better with a spoonful of this oil!
How to make my chili oil recipe
All you need to do is mix the dry ingredients together, heat the oil, pour the oil on top of the dry ingredients, and you’re done! It takes 5 minutes to make, so there are no excuses for not always having a batch in your fridge!
The reason why we heat the oil without the chili flakes in it is because that’s how you avoid burning them (which can happen very very easily!).
Tips & variations
You can and absolutely should make this recipe your own! You can experiment with different flavorings in the oil (like cloves, or black pepper) or different types of chilies.
For example, to the dry chili mixture you can also add:
- crushed or chopped dried Mexican chilies (Guajillo, Arbol, Cascabel, etc)
- small, dried birds-eye chilies
As for other flavorings that you can add to your oil, why not try mixing in some:
- ginger
- extra garlic or whole garlic cloves
- spring onions or scallions
- onions
- shallots
If you’re adding flavorings like these, just be sure to add them at the same time as the sesame seeds, after the oil has stopped bubbling. Otherwise they might burn if you put them in the oil or pour the boiling hot oil on them.
How to store chili oil
You can store this sesame chili oil in the fridge for up to 6 months, in a glass jar with a tight lid. Or you can keep it on the countertop at room temperature for about 3 months.
My sesame chili oil recipe with Sichuan pepper
Sesame chili oil recipe
Ingredients
- 150 ml sunflower oil
- 5 tbsp dried chili flakes
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves garlic minced in a garlic press
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a small pot, heat the sunflower oil with the star anise, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf.
- While the oil heats put the chili flakes, Sichuan pepper, and crushed garlic in the jar where you'll be storing the oil. Mix quickly with a fork so that the ingredients blend together.
- Once the oil is very hot but not boiling, CAREFULLY pour it onto the chili/garlic mixture. It will bubble, so be careful! But don't worry, it will soon stop.
- Add the sesame seeds to the mixture once it has stopped bubbling. Give it a good stir with a spoon. Let it sit on the countertop until the oil has come to room temperature, then store in the fridge indefinitely!
FRANCAIS
Je suis accro de chez accro a la nourriture épicée.
C’est peut être liée à ma culture culinaire, car en Inde et en Arménie/Syrie on mange plutôt épicée, voir très épicée. Si vous aimez les huiles piquantes (et je ne parle pas des huiles que l’on vous livre avec une pizza !) cette recette est vraiment top. Ca prend que 5 minutes a faire, ca se garde pendant des mois au frigo, et ca apporte une touche épicée et piquante à tout !
Mettez la sur des pizzas, des oeufs, des bowls de legumes rotis, du chili con carne, des burritos ou quesadillas, des tartines, des pates…bref, sur tout !
La recette de l’huile piquante au sésame, ail, et poivre de Sichuan
Ingredients
- 150 ml huile de tournesol
- 1 feuille de laurier
- 5 cas piments séchées (en flocons, pas en poudre)
- 1 anise étoilée
- 1 bâton de cannelle
- 4 gousses d’ail, émincées dans le presse ail
- 1 cac de poivre de Sichuan, écrasé légèrement dans un mortier
- 1 cas graines de sésame
Instructions
- Dans une petite casserole, faites chauffer l’huile, l’anise, la cannelle et la feuille de laurier.
- Pendant que ca chauffe, mettez le piment, le poivre de Sichuan, et l’ail dans le bocal ou vous allez garder l’huile. Mélangez rapidement avec une fourchette.
- Quand l’huile est chaude mais pas bouillante, versez très délicatement l’huile sur les piments dans le bocal. Attention, ca va faire beaucoup de bulles, mais ne vous inquietez pas, c’est normal !
- Rajoutez les graines de sésame a cette mélange une fois que l’huile a arrêté de faire des bulles et mélangez une dernière fois. Laissez tiédir sur le plan de travail, et ensuite fermez le bocal et gardez le au-frais.
