The Most Amazing Homemade Chilli Oil: Your New Go-To Condiment

I have the perfect recipe for you if you like all things spicy or just enjoy a spicy condiment with your meals.

At home we use this Chilli oil as a condiment:

• With Rice and curry, fried rice, and noodles (anything Asian basically!)
• With Pasta and pesto, Spaghetti Bolognese (yes, even with pasta!)
• As a sandwich spread (mixed with mayonnaise).
• As a special dip for French fries and other fried foods (mixed with ketchup and mayonnaise).

It is a truly versatile condiment, and its uses are limited only by your imagination!

Ingredients for the Best Homemade Chilli Oil:

Red chillies: I use the chillies from Tesco. I buy two packets (60g each) as that nicely fills a jar along with the other ingredients. The jar lasts us about a month or two. It is very important to wear gloves when chopping these chillies. Take it from me: I’ve chopped without gloves and suffered from a burning sensation that lasted a day or two! It was not fun. I used milk and yoghurt to ease the pain, but my advice is… Just do yourself a favour and put on some gloves—the warning is often even on the chilli packet itself!

Dried red chilli flakes: You must be wondering…do I need more chillies? Yes, trust me. Using both dried and fresh chillies creates a far better texture for the chilli oil. You can buy chilli flakes from the supermarket or an Asian food store. I have massive bags brought over from Sri Lanka and I use those.

Garlic: A whole bulb and a few cloves more if you like it very garlicky. Chop finely.

Oil: I use sunflower oil.

Seasonings: Salt and sugar.

Now that you have your ingredients ready, let’s get started on the method.

Step-by-Step Method: How to Make Chilli Oil

1. Chop the garlic and put into a small saucepan.
2. Put on gloves and chop the red chillies. Then add them to the saucepan.
3. Pour oil into the pan to cover the garlic and chilli and set on medium heat. Cook slowly for about 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly, and making sure that the garlic does not burn.
4. Add about ¾ cup of chilli flakes. You will need to add more oil as the flakes will absorb most of the existing oil in the pan. Stir.
5. After about 5 minutes, add your salt and sugar. I usually add about 1.5 teaspoons of both salt and sugar.
6. Take off the heat and let cool. Once cool, pour the contents into a clean jar. You might need to add more oil if the mixture looks too dry. The extra oil will also help the condiment last longer.
   Store it in the fridge.

That’s it! Let me know if you have tried it!

We absolutely love it now and cannot imagine eating any savoury meals without it.