Best Blog Review – Chili oil is often found in various types of Chinese and Japanese dishes, especially dim sum and presents a spicy sensation that is different from chili sauce. On the internet, there are indeed many people who share recipes for this seasoning, but there are also many parties who use packaged chili oil , so it is more practical to use.
In this article, we will discuss in full how to choose, and some good quality chili oil brands , chili oil recipes at a glance, as well as several types of dishes that are prepared using this spice.
Just as Indonesian cuisine is incomplete without chili sauce, Japanese, Chinese and several countries in Southeast Asia are incomplete without chili oil.
Chili oil is a condiment for food and in Indonesia it is usually consumed as a dip in dimsum or a complement to Japanese-style ramen. Aside from being used as a dip, chili oil can also be used as a seasoning for cooking, for example a seasoning for sautéing vegetables or as an additional seasoning for marinades.
Chili oil is made by infusion of chilies and spices into the oil. Before that, the oil must first be heated until it reaches a temperature of around 100°C, then add the spices to it with the aim of extracting the taste and aroma of the spices perfectly. If so, then the hot oil is filtered over the chili powder that has been prepared.
Making chili oil is actually not that difficult. You need to prepare materials, such as:
How to make:
Choosing chili oil is the same as choosing other spices, it takes trial and error to find the right product. Here are some ways you can apply when you buy chili oil.
1. Recognize the oil used
Not only the raw materials for chili are of good quality, the type of oil used also affects the taste of the chili oil . The best oil for making chili oil should taste neutral, so it won’t affect the taste of the chilies or the spices in it. Usually there are three types of oil that are often used to make chili oil, including palm oil, soybean oil, and sesame oil.
Palm oil or vegetable oil is the oil most commonly used to make chili oil, because the price is quite affordable and easy to find in supermarkets. In addition to vegetable oil, soybean oil or soybean oil is also used quite often because it tastes neutral and has a fairly high boiling point, so it is very suitable for cooking.
To strengthen the aroma and taste of chili oil, sesame oil is usually used . Sesame oil also has a slightly sweet nutty taste, so it will bring a nutty sensation to processed chili oil. Several chili oil producers in Indonesia also use other, healthier types of oil, such as canola oil, which is known to lower LDL levels.
2. Ensure other compositions in chili oil
Chili oil does not only contain the composition of oil and chilies, but also includes various spices to strengthen the taste. Spices are usually mixed in the form of fennel, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns , and bay leaves. Some manufacturers also add cloves, cardamom, ginger, garlic and shallots.
The presence of these various spices makes chili oil very rich in taste and smells much more fragrant when used for cooking. Don’t forget the addition of salt which functions as a flavor enhancer as well as a preservative for the chili oil. Apart from that, before buying chili oil you can also check its halal status by searching for it on the internet.
3. Choose based on the level of spiciness
Basically, chili oil has a spicy taste, but some manufacturers offer different levels of spiciness. Ranging from chili oil products that are not too spicy to very spicy, so it’s just a matter of adjusting the level according to your spiciness and your tolerance. Therefore, be sure to check customer reviews first so you know how high the spiciness of the product is.
Here we go
On the marketplace, you can easily find various chili oil products , such as the Braja, Lao Gan Ma, and other brands. Here are some of the chili oil products discussed by Ainun, which can be used as a complement to your cooking.
If you want to use this chili oil as a dip for dimsum, fried foods, shabu-shabu , or sukiyaki, don’t forget to mix it with soy sauce and black vinegar first so that the taste is even better. Packaged in a glass bottle with a net weight of 180 grams, Braja Sambal Minyak is sold for around 28 thousand rupiahs.
The spicy taste and strong aroma of spices allow this product to be used as a stir-fry seasoning, complementary sauce or mixed seasoning in your food preparations. Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chou Chili Oil is packaged in a net weight of 205 grams and is sold at 33 thousand rupiah.
You can also add this chili oil to foods that tend to be dry in texture, such as fried rice, fried noodles, fried vermicelli, and fireworks claws to give it a spicier taste. If you are going to use it as a dip, mix this chili oil with sweet soy sauce so that the taste is more balanced. For the price, Buleg Sambel Sena is priced at 21 thousand rupiah per 80 gram pack.
Garlic Chili Oil by Millimala is packaged in glass bottles with a net weight of 250 grams and is sold for 50 thousand rupiah. To make the product last longer, make sure to store it in the refrigerator or freezer so that the chili oil can last up to 3-6 months.
Like chili oil products in general, Uncle Han’s Cantonese Chili Oil can also be used as a dip or seasoning for various preparations that you make. This product is packaged in a 175 ml vacuum glass bottle and costs IDR 55,000. But because it’s made without preservatives, Uncle Han’s Cantonese Chili Oil only lasts for 15 days at room temperature, so make sure to store it in the refrigerator or freezer .
This product is hygienically packaged in a vacuum bottle, so that the quality will be maintained until it reaches the buyer. If Eastern Chili Oil Hot won’t be stored for a long time, you can buy a 100 gram mini pack that sells for 33 thousand rupiah on the marketplace.
Because it doesn’t contain preservatives, you need to store MSH Chili Oil in the refrigerator or freezer, so this product will last for 2-6 months. MSH Chili Oil is packaged in a plastic bottle with a net weight of 180 grams and costs IDR 32,000.
This product is made from various premium ingredients originating from Japan and does not contain synthetic preservatives, so it is safe for consumption in the long term. Available in a choice of spicy and original flavors, Sambal Sassi Premium Chili Oil is sold at IDR 70,000 for a 250 gram pack.
You can also add it to noodles, fried rice, and various fried foods to make it taste even more delicious. The Duck King Sauce Chili Oil is packaged in a glass bottle with a net weight of 185 grams and costs IDR 40,000.
The foods most often seasoned with chili oil are East Asian-style foods, be it Chinese, Japanese or Korean specialties. Here are some types of dishes that will be even more delicious when combined with chili oil.
Dandan noodles
Dandan noodles or Sichuan spicy noodles served with chili oil mixed with spices and a variety of sauces. This noodle preparation is complemented with minced meat, chopped green onions, and pakcoy, so that it looks like chicken noodles at a glance.
Hongyou chaoshou
Hogyou comes from wontons, which are a type of Chinese dumpling filled with minced meat. Usually wontons are processed into soup or fried and then served with sauce and chili oil . However, the wontons are also processed into hongyou chaoshou which is made by mixing it with chili oil , then adding chopped green onions and boiled pokcoy.
Mapo tofu
Mapo tofu is also a typical Chinese dish which is often served with chili oil. Preparations are made from tofu that is cut into squares, then cooked with chili oil, spices, various sauces, and broth. Mapo tofu is best enjoyed with warm white rice.
Yukgaejang
Unlike some of the previous foods, yukgaejang is a typical South Korean food in the form of a spicy beef soup and includes chili oil in the manufacturing process. The presence of broth that comes from boiling beef and various spices makes the broth taste so savory and delicious. Yukgaejang is also often served with Korean so it is more filling.
Sundubujjigae
Another typical South Korean food, namely sundubujjigae, is also mixed with chili oil in it. Sundubujjigae is a kind of spicy soup made from a very soft tofu base and complemented with seafood, such as shellfish, so that the delicacy is even more pronounced.
Lamb manti
Basically, this Turkish specialty is similar to dumplings, but it’s made of finely chopped lamb. The chili oil in the lamb manti is not used to mix the fillings but is poured over the lamb manti with yogurt .
In the preparation of dishes from various countries, chili oil is often used as a mixture, sauce, or topping that makes food taste even more delicious. In this article, we have discussed how to choose and several choices of chili oil brands that are ready to make your dishes delicious.
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