Schezwan Sauce aka Schezwan chutney is a fiery, delicious condiment. Made with dry chilies, ginger and garlic. This condiment doubles as a condiment and a sauce. Spread it on a toast, add it to your fried rice or use it as a dipping sauce the options are endless.
What is Schezwan Sauce:
A simple to make, thick, sweet and spicy sauce with a flavorful garlicky kick. This insanely delicious sauce is a classic condiment in Indo-Chinese cuisine. This sauce uses two types of chilies guntur and badygi variety. Guntur chilies are hot to handle whereas badygi chilies are deep red in color and less spicy. The variety of chilies you use determines the spice level of this sauce .This sauce definitely elevates the taste of any appetizer.Schezwan Sauce is readily available in the grocery store. But I like to make my condiments at home from scratch. So that, I have control on what ingredients go in it, and its healthier.
Ingredients:
- Dry Chilies: These are the main ingredients to make a good fiery sauce. I have used two types of dry chilies to make this sauce.
- Guntur Chilies : This variety is exceptionally dark red in color and very fiery. It’s distinctive red color and hot flavor makes this condiment appetizing
- Baydagi Chillies: This variety of chilli has a deep red color and is less spicy compared to guntru chilies
- Alternatively, you can use Kashmiri Dry Whole Chilies for a milder version of this recipe. This variety gives a beautiful dark red color to the sauce but does make it too pungent or spicy.
- Oil: I have used canola oil in this sauce. Alternatively, you can use cooking olive oil or vegetable oil. They all have a neutral flavor and are pretty interchangeable with canola oil.
- Ginger Garlic: Ginger and Garlic features prominently in Szechuan cooking. Do not make a paste. Finely chop ginger and garlic. The smaller the pieces are, the faster it releases aroma during cooking. Also, the smaller pieces blend well into the sauce, so you won’t notice it while eating the sauce/ chutney.
- Flavoring / Seasoning : To add flavor to the sauce- I have added the following ingredients:
- Rice wine vinegar: is less acidic and milder than other vinegar.
- Soy Sauce: is salty, sweet and umami in flavor. Addition of soy sauce to the chutney adds depth of flavor. You can substitute soy sauce with Maggi seasoning, bouillon or coconut aminos.
- Ketchup: adds tangy and sweet flavor to the Schezwan sauce. Alternatively you can use tomato paste.
- Sugar: balances out the heat from the chilies.
How to serve Schezwan Sauce:
Schezwan Sauce can be served as a condiment – or
- slather on a toast
- add to the fried rice or stir fry can also be used a dipping sauce.
How to store sauce:
You can store the sauce in the fridge for couple of weeks. The sugar content helps the sauce last longer. Make sure you are not contaminating it with other food particles. I suggest to sterilize the jars and then add the sauce to the containers. This way it lasts longer up to 1 month.Here are more Asian Recipes you may like:
Cold Noodles in Sesame Sauce Tofu Satay
