Homemade Chilli Garlic Oil
Abuja, Nigeria · View all recipes
Overview
Hot oil poured over garlic and dried chilli, then strained. It is a condiment rather than a dish, and it belongs to East and Southeast Asian cooking, where versions of it are a kitchen staple. The technique is the whole thing, and it hinges on a short window. Oil is heated until shimmering, taken off the heat, and the garlic goes in for ten to thirty seconds only. The residual heat is enough to draw the flavour out; any longer and the garlic burns, which happens fast and produces a bitterness that cannot be removed. Chilli flakes go in after, because they scorch even more readily. Straining is the source's choice and it is a legitimate one, but it is worth knowing it is not the only approach. Chinese chilli crisp and many Southeast Asian versions deliberately keep the solids in, so you get texture as well as flavour. Straining gives you a clear, clean infused oil; leaving it gives you something to spoon over food. Both keep. The flavour improves for a day or two as the oil continues to take on the garlic and chilli, so making it ahead is worthwhile. It has a real African cousin worth mentioning. Ghanaian shito, the dark fried pepper sauce, works on the same principle of chilli cooked into oil, and it has its own recipe on this site.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
- 2
Take the pan off the heat, then put in the minced garlic and let it sizzle for 10 to 30 seconds. Watch it closely, burnt garlic turns the whole batch bitter and it happens in seconds.
- 3
Mix in the red pepper flakes and the sesame seeds if you are using them.
- 4
Immediately pour the oil through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof jar or bowl, which removes the fried garlic and any other solids.
- 5
Let the oil cool to room temperature, then cover and store in the fridge for up to a month.
- 6
Spoon it over noodles, fried rice, dumplings, grilled meats or roasted vegetables.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Deborah Olayiwola- Take the pan off the heat before the garlic goes in. Residual heat is enough, and direct heat will burn it within seconds.
- Watch the garlic constantly. There is no recovering a batch once it has caught, the bitterness carries straight into the oil.
- For mild, use one tablespoon of chilli flakes; for hot, two or three. The heat extracts readily so it is stronger than it looks.
- Skip the straining if you want a chilli crisp rather than a clear oil. Both are legitimate; they are just different condiments.
- Let it sit a day or two before using. The flavour deepens noticeably as the oil continues to infuse.
- Store it cold and covered. Garlic in oil at room temperature is a genuine botulism risk, so the fridge is not optional.
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