{"id":11491,"date":"2020-09-05T13:37:52","date_gmt":"2020-09-05T13:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/?p=11491"},"modified":"2022-06-07T17:00:06","modified_gmt":"2022-06-07T17:00:06","slug":"pickled-chili-garlic-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/pickled-chili-garlic-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"Pickled Chili Garlic Sauce (Duo Jiao,\u5241\u6912)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chinese pickled chili garlic sauce is long-lasting, flavoursome and can be used in many creative ways. Follow my detailed recipe to make some!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is pickled chili garlic sauce <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pickled chilies are commonly found in Chinese cuisine, particularly in cuisines of southern provinces, such as Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, etc. Home cooks would make it in big batches (usually with their own “secret” formula) and have it as a kitchen essential to use on a regular basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s recipe is the Hunan style chopped version which is called Duo Jiao\/剁椒 in Chinese. Traditionally, the main ingredients, chili peppers, garlic and ginger, are chopped manually with a cleaver. As you could imagine, it’s a labour-intensive job but the final taste is so rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My recipe introduces an easier and faster method <\/strong>using a food processor. You can use this long-lasting, pungent, flavourful condiment for seasoning many savoury dishes, such as stir-fries, steamed meat\/fish, dipping sauces, noodle dressing, etc. Sounds interesting? Please read on!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ingredients<\/span> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It doesn’t require a long ingredient list to make pickled chili garlic sauce. Also, everything that you need can be easily sourced from mainstream supermarkets (apart from one optional ingredient). Here is the list:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fresh chili peppers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any types of fresh chili pepper would work for this recipe (the fresher the better). The only thing you need to consider is the heat level that you enjoy or tolerant. I mix two types for this recipe (see image above<\/em>): the majority is the bigger, juicy ones with medium heat (labelled as “red chilli” in British supermarkets) and a few bird’s eye chilies (Thai chilies) which taste much hotter (I find this guide on “25 types of peppers<\/a>” by blogger Jessica Gavin is quite helpful).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The traditional Chinese pickled chili garlic sauce includes the seeds of the peppers. However, please feel free to remove them. This will dramatically reduce the heat of the end product.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Garlic & ginger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Garlic is indispensable for this recipe while ginger is optional. I prefer fresh ones but shop-bought garlic\/ginger paste is acceptable as long as it doesn’t contain any artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salt & sugar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any types of salt will work as long as it’s pure salt without any other ingredients in it. The suggested salt sugar ratio is 3: 1. However, you could increase the sugar quantity a little if you fancy the sauce sweeter (the sweetness also helps to reduce the spiciness of the sauce).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lime\/lemon or white rice wine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the acidic element used in this chili sauce, I like lime or lemon for its hint of fruity flavour. Simply squeeze the juice out (remove seeds if any). The more traditional method usually calls for white rice vinegar<\/a>, so use it instead if you prefer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to make it<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With all the ingredients at hand, we’re ready to make the sauce following five simple steps: wash, dry, chop, blend and season. Unlike Chiu Chow Chili Oil<\/a> which also uses fresh chilies, this recipe doesn’t involve cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we start, I’d like to remind you of a very important tip: All the utensils<\/strong> that are in contact of the ingredients (chopping board, knife, food processor, spatula, bowl, jars\/containers, etc.) need to be thoroughly cleaned, dried and completely oil-free<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Wash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Washing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wash the chili peppers under running water. At this stage, try not to remove the stems of the peppers. Otherwise, water might get inside.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Step 2: Dry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Drain the peppers then pad dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Lay them on a tray without overlapping. Leave to air dry completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3: Chop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"chopping<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Remove the green stems and any blemishes or spots. Cut the peppers into chunks (Wear gloves to avoid burning). If you wish to reduce the spiciness, cut the chili pepper open lengthwise. Use the tip of a knife or spoon to scrape off the seeds. Peel the garlic and ginger. Crush a little to loosen their texture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Step 4: Blend <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Blending<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Add peeled garlic and ginger to a food processor. Blend on high speed into a paste-like consistency. Then put in the chopped pepper (you might need to add it in two batches depending on the size of your food processor). Blend for 3 seconds then pause. Stir with a spatula then blend for another 3 seconds. Repeat the process until the pepper is evenly chopped into small pieces but not to a fine paste consistency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Step 5: Season<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"minced<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pour everything into a large bowl. Add salt, sugar and the juice of the lime\/lemon (or white rice vinegar). Mix with a spatula until well combined. Cover the bowl and leave to rest on the counter for 48 hours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to store it<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\"Pickled<\/h2>\n\n\n\n