There are different methods to making chili oil all of which are simple, the only ingredients you need are chili peppers and some oil, the type of chili peppers you wish to use is down to you, different varieties have different strengths and also the quantity used is down to you as the more chili’s used then the hotter the taste, yet again it is your choice weather you wish to include the chili seeds as these tend to be the hottest part of the chili pepper, if you wish you can add whole chili’s, a little tip is to put a cut in the chili pod so that the flavour infuses better with the oil,  some people recommend cooking them in white wine vinegar before hand but this is entirely up to you,

The oil in which you use is entirely up to you as well for best results and a more Asian flavour use peanut oil, however a good quality vegetable oil can be used or olive oil if desired, just make sure that the oil has a high enough smoking point, (Steer clear of extra virgin olive oil), some people are happy to leave the chili flakes in the oil whereas some people like to strain the oil back into a bottle this can be done by using a very clean tea towel to line a funnel, another little tip is dependent on the required colour of your oil try adding some Paprika which will give the oil a distinctive red/orange appearance.

Ingredients:

Peanut oil or Olive oil  (not virgin)

Dried red chili flakes

Whole dried chillies

Method:

  1: Firstly gently warm the oil in a saucepan, then add the crushed chili flakes and whole chillies to the hot oil, and heat for 3-4 minutes trying to make sure you do not burn the chili flakes, try and get the temperature to reach at least 85°C so to kill off any bacteria on the chillies,

  2: Use a funnel to decant the oil into a sterilised glass bottle, seal and shake well.

  3: Store the bottle in a cool, dry and dark place. Once a week give the bottle a little shake and with time (after a few weeks) the oil will change to slightly reddish colour, it may take two or three months to achieve the desired hotness.

This oil can be kept very easily in the bottle for several months  (8-10 months or longer).

Please feel free to add any comments or tips and advice in the comments section below

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