Sichuan Chili Oil 红油

I happily found that all my friends, regardless of eastern or western background, all enjoy this garlicky and numbingly spicy chili oil.

This homemade chili oil is amazing on top of noodles, rice or anything else that you want to kick up a notch. It is essential for making Poached Chicken in Sichuan Chili Oil口水鸡

Yields one and half cups,

12g dried red chili, roughly chopped干辣椒
2-3 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder现磨花椒粉, quantities variable depending on the level of your tolerance for the numbingly chili oil (I would go 3 tsp for sure)
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds白芝麻
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped蒜末
2 spring onions, sliced into small pieces青葱
a bit thumb, thinly sliced 姜丝
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fermented Sichuan soy bean paste 豆瓣酱

Method

Mix dried chili, Sichuan peppercorn powder, white sesame seeds and salt in a bowl.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan in medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and spring onion into the oil and fry the ingredients for about 5 minutes in low heat.

3. Add fermented Sichuan soy bean paste into the oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and let the oil cool down for 2 minutes

5. Drain the cooked oil by leaving the garlic in the oil. Pour the cooked oil in the bowl (indicated in the step 1)

6. Mix the ingredients well. Done.

Tips

The amount of dried chili is variable. Spiciness of the oil depends on the quantity of Sichuan peppercorn powder you add in.
The chili oil can be stored and leave in the room temperature.