Chilli garlic szechuan sauce is a staple in Indian-style Chinese cooking, for all the right reasons! Packed with the perfect spicy kick, zesty garlic, and a hint of salt and acidity, this Indian-style chilli garlic sauce will be one of your go-to condiments. Whether you call this sauce chilli garlic or szechuan sauce, you will want a batch in your fridge at all times - ready in 30 minutes!
This chilli garlic szechuan sauce is the perfect addition to your favorite noodle recipes, including black pepper beef udon, peanut sauce stir fry noodles, and of course Hakka chow mein. This sauce is also the delicious base for my szechuan chicken, which will be another surefire favorite!
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👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- No mystery ingredients: Store-bought sauces are undoubtedly delicious and easy to grab, but sometimes are packed with mystery ingredients. This homemade recipe is short on ingredients, with the same flavor.
- Customize the heat level: If you prefer a milder version of this chilli garlic sauce, you can always customize the heat level by using less dried red chillies, or using a combination of red chillies and milder peppers such as guajillo peppers.
- Unlimited uses: This sauce is definitely not a single-use condiment - it works perfectly in stir-fry sauces, as a dipping sauce, or even a sandwich spread.
🥘 Ingredient notes
- Dried red chillies: These whole chilli peppers are sometimes labelled as 'lal mirch' in Indian supermarkets. They are slightly spicier than kashmiri red peppers, which brings the heat to this sauce.
- Soy sauce: You will want to use regular light soy sauce for this sauce. Dark soy sauce, which is frequently used to add rich dark color to dishes, would be slightly overpowering in this sauce.
- Fresh garlic: I recommend using fresh garlic and mincing it using a garlic press or with a knife. This gives the sauce the nice bursts of garlic, along with a chunkier texture. Pre-minced garlic is often slightly muted in flavor, and does not add much texture to the sauce.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖 Substitutions
- Dried red chillies: Kashmiri chillies, or fresh fresno chilli peppers will work in place of traditional dried red chillies. Kashmiri chillies will be slightly milder in heat.
- White vinegar: Rice wine vinegar is a good substitute for white vinegar, in this sauce.
- Sugar: Use honey in place of granulate sugar.
🔪 Variations
- Peanut sauce: Add chopped peanuts to this recipe for a nutty twist on a classic sauce.
- Citrus: Add a hint of lime juice for a zesty, bright version of this sauce.
- Thai-inspired: Incorporate thai flavors like fish sauce, lime, and palm sugar.
⏲️ Step-by-step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
- Collecting all your ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
- Mince the garlic: Using a garlic press or a knife, mince the garlic until it is broken down finely, but not fully a paste.
Add the red chilli peppers to a small sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Simmer over medium heat until the peppers have reconstituted and are plump. [photo 1]
Transfer the reconstituted chilli peppers to a blender container with ¼ cup of the water that the chillies were steeped in. Blend the chillies into a fine puree, until there are no lumps or visible seeds. [photos 2&3]
Add the chilli puree to a small sauce pan, and mix in the remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and the colour has deepened - this should take 5-7 minutes. [photo 4]
Serve warm, or allow the sauce to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
💭 Expert Tips
- Taste as you go: The perfect chilli garlic szechuan sauce is all about balance. Taste the sauce as you go to ensure that you have the perfect amount of sweetness, spice, and acid from the vinegar.
- Let the flavors meld together: If you can, let the sauce sit overnight to let the flavors meld together and balance out. The sauce will also develop a deeper flavor after resting.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
This sauce can be made in larger batches, and stored for future use. Store prepared sauce in airtight jars or containers - glass jars or containers work best.
Ensure that you store leftover or pre-made sauce in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and flavor. Cool the sauce completely before placing it in the fridge.
This sauce will last approximately 2 weeks in the fridge. You can freeze leftovers for a longer period of time if you will not finish the batch quickly.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
It is not recommended to store this sauce outside of the refrigerator. Keeping the sauce at room temperature will alter the freshness and shorten the shelf life significantly. This also leaves room for bacterial growth, which you want to avoid at all costs.
This recipe as written is vegan, as there are no animal-derived products included. To make this sauce gluten-free, substitute soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos. As always, read the labels of all the products you use for the most accurate nutritional information.
The key difference between the two sauces is the texture. Chilli garlic sauce tends to have a thicker, chunkier texture, whereas sriracha is blended smooth.
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Indian-Style Chili Garlic Sauce
Equipment
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 20 Dried red chillies
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 10 cloves Garlic - minced
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon White vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add the red chilli peppers to a small sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Simmer over medium heat until the peppers have reconstituted and are plump.20 Dried red chillies , 2 cups Water
- Transfer the reconstituted chilli peppers to a blender container with ¼ cup of the water that the chillies were steeped in. Blend the chillies into a fine puree, until there are no lumps or visible seeds.
- Add the chilli puree to a small sauce pan, and mix in the remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce has thickened and the colour has deepened - this should take 5-7 minutes.1 tablespoon Ginger paste, 10 cloves Garlic, ¼ cup Soy sauce , 2 tablespoon White vinegar , 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- Serve warm, or allow the sauce to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
✱Recipe Notes
- Taste as you go: The perfect chilli garlic szechuan sauce is all about balance. Taste the sauce as you go to ensure that you have the perfect amount of sweetness, spice, and acid from the vinegar.
- Let the flavors meld together: If you can, let the sauce sit overnight to let the flavors meld together and balance out. The sauce will also develop a deeper flavor after resting.
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