This Garlic Chilli Sauce is the perfect accompaniment to Hainanese Chicken Rice, with a complex and robust flavor profile that combines the pungent and distinctive taste of garlic with the fiery heat of chilies. It also has a tangy element, from the vinegar and calamansi juice, which adds a bright and acidic note, enhancing the overall flavor and balancing the richness of garlic and spiciness of chili.
The simplicity of the sauce also makes it highly customizable, where you can easily adjust the spiciness by adding more chilies, or tweak the vinegar and sugar, allowing you to cater to your unique taste preferences.
Some people have asked why this sauce is not cooked, and the reason is that it’s meant to be a raw and fresh condiment! Cooking can sometimes dull the flavors and aromas of certain ingredients, so by keeping the sauce raw, you preserve the freshness and vibrant taste of the chili peppers, garlic, and other components.
This is especially the case for sauces made with fresh and spicy ingredients like chilies, which are intended to have a bold and sharp flavor profile. Cooking might mellow the heat and alter the overall flavor balance. Traditionally, this sauce is not meant to be cooked, and it is a staple condiment in Southeast Asia whenever eating chicken rice.
After making a batch, you should be able to store it in the fridge for a good 2 to 3 months, although it never lasts longer than a week or two in my household! We eat so much of it, with just about anything that needs a little spicy kick!
This is one of my all-time favorite chili sauces that is so easy to make and also so versatile! It offers a delightful blend of heat, garlic, and acidity that can elevate the taste of various dishes, such as stir-fries, rice and noodle dishes, grilled meats, and more! So let’s get to it!
Watch How To Make It
Garlic Chilli Sauce
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 13 pieces red chillies
- 2 pieces bird's eye chillies
- 2 bulbs garlic
- 50 g ginger
- 15 calamansi juiced
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vinegar
Instructions
- Blend everything together!
- Optional: Increase the spiciness with more bird eye chillies.
- Optional: Adjust the taste with vinegar and sugar to your liking.
2 comments
How long can you keep this in the fridge? Can it be frozen?
I kept it in the fridge for 6 months and it was still good!