Spicy Chinese Red Chili Oil 🌶️

LAY HO MA (how’s it going in Cantonese!) – Compliments of Yeung Man Cooking!
(His YouTube video is meditative—definitely worth a watch!)

This smoky, spicy, ruby red Chinese-style chili oil brings the heat—think ghost pepper level! It’s perfect for stir-fries, sauces, salad dressings, or even drizzling over hummus. 🌿

Ingredients:

• ½ red onion, thinly sliced 🧅
• 3 cloves garlic, diced 🧄
• Small piece of ginger, diced
• 3 sticks green onion, finely chopped 🌿
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 3 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 3 cups avocado oil 🥑
• 3 ghost peppers, sliced in half 🌶️
• ⅓ cup gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)
• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Prep the Aromatics:

   • Thinly slice the red onion.
   • Dice the garlic and ginger.
   • Finely chop the green onions.
   • Slice the ghost peppers in half.

2. Toast the Spices:

   • Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, and white sesame seeds to a saucepan.
   • Toast on medium heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant, then set aside.

3. Infuse the Oil:

   • Pour the avocado oil into the saucepan and heat for about 1–2 minutes.
   • Carefully spoon in the red onions, garlic, ginger, and ghost peppers.
   • Fry for about 4–6 minutes or until golden and crisp.
   • Transfer the fried ingredients to a plate lined with paper towel to keep them crispy (these make a great topping!).

4. Combine Spices and Oil:

   • Carefully add the green onions to the oil along with the toasted spices.
   • When the oil starts to bubble, stir in the gochugaru and salt.
   • Cook for 1 minute on medium heat, then turn heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Cool and Strain:

   • Turn off the heat and let the oil cool completely.
   • Carefully strain the oil through a sieve into a clean jar.
   • For extra flavor, keep the cinnamon stick and ghost peppers in the bottle.

6. Store:

   • Refrigerate the oil and enjoy for up to 4–6 months.
   • (Confession: I keep mine in the cupboard because it gets used way faster than it should! 😉)

💡Tips & Serving Ideas:

• Topping: Use the crispy fried aromatics as a topping for rice, noodles, or salads.
• Flavor Boost: Drizzle on stir-fries, ramen, roasted veggies, or even scrambled eggs for a kick.
• Storage: Store in a cool, dark place if you use it often.