Long before the world declares its undying love for Sriracha, the rooster sauce from California, the quiet dingy lanes in the tanneries of erstwhile Calcutta was silently cooking up pot of hot garlic sauce which in due course of time has transformed the regular chicken, prawns and pork dishes to taste extraordinaire. Though the heat was too much for the sweet loving babus of Kolkata but none the less it was able to make a lasting impression on the culinary trails of Indo Chinese cuisine.
Much like California gold rush, eighties saw the rise of US’s most loved hot sauce till date – the Sriracha that acquired a cult status among the barbecue loving nation. Some even emphasised that it is the best thing ever happened after the sliced bread. Not many moons ago I too was Sriracha addict, for every reason or every occasion I had served Sriracha with almost everything, even that means smearing it on plain toasted bread. It is futile and difficult to argue with Sriracha addicts, the sauce that soon engulfed the food scenario of a nation and invent so many dishes.
But when you are deprived of your daily dose of Sriracha, the alternatives arises. It was extremely difficult to give up the Sriracha addiction but the new homemade version of hot garlic sauce charmed us in more than one ways. 
More than 200 years ago when the first Chinese settlers migrated to the eastern shores of Hooghly river, make Achipur their home, they might not have realised it then that in the coming century, this single migration step is going to revolutionize the Indian culinary scene. The very first birth place of Indo-Chinese cuisine. Later from the shores of Hooghly the Chinese settlers migrated to the city of Calcutta, small settlements of Chinese shoemakers, carpenters, dentist began to pop up in Bentick street, Burrabazar’s Aphing chowrasta (opium junction) and later a proper China Town, country’s first of its kind began to develop in Tiretta Bazaar. Decades later, on the eastern fringes of the city another China Town evolves – Tangra, to which every Kolkattan makes a yearly or monthly if you say so pilgrimage to chow on the hakka, manchurians, steam buns and hot garlic pork.
While Sriracha has its roots set deep in the coastal city of Si Racha in Thailand, this Indo-Chinese version of hot garlic sauce could be India’s answer to the global hot sauce quest. The type of chillies used in the sauce made all the difference. Whether you use dried Chinese hot red chile peppers or use fresh Thai bird-eye chillies, the sauce will remain fiery hot. So use the chilies as per your tolerance level, if it has gone beyond your limit then cool it down with white vinegar. Now like me if you too had a big bottle of fish sauce stocked in your pantry for months, then use it here. Else you can skip this. And last but not least, use peanut or sesame oil for the extra flavor.
Your very own hot garlic sauce is ready, and now you can make Sriracha feel jealous.
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Homemade Chili Garlic Sauce
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 1 cup 1x
- Diet: Pescatarian, Omnivore, Gluten-Free
Description
Spice up your life with this easy chili garlic sauce. Perfect for dipping, drizzling, or adding a fiery kick to your favorite dishes.
Ingredients
- 2 heads Garlic
- 20-25 Red Chilli pepper
- 2 Shallots
- 2-3 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Peanut or sesame oil
- Salt
- 1 tsp Fish sauce
Instructions
- Peel the garlic cloves and lightly roast them on a griddle with a few drops of oil.
- If using fresh Thai bird eye chilies, chop them.
- If using dried Chinese red chilies, deseed them and soak in water until tender.
- In a blender, blend the garlic, red chilies, salt, sugar, and vinegar into a fine paste.
- Mince the shallots.
- Lightly heat oil and gently sauté the shallots until raw.
- Turn off the heat and add the chili garlic paste; blend well.
- Check and adjust salt and sugar.
- Add fish sauce, if using.
- Blend well and let stand for at least two hours to allow flavors to mingle.
Notes
- For a smoother sauce, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve after blending.
- Adjust the amount of chili peppers to control the spice level; start with fewer if you’re sensitive to heat.
- Store the sauce in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; it will deepen in flavor over time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tbsp
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of chilies work best for a homemade chili garlic sauce?
Fresno or red jalapeño chilies are a practical choice since they’re widely available and give a bright, medium heat. For more fire, add a few dried Thai chilies to the blend.
How long does homemade chili garlic sauce keep in the fridge?
Stored in a clean jar with a tight lid, it keeps for up to two weeks refrigerated. The garlic flavor mellows after a day or two, which many people prefer.
Do I need to remove the seeds before blending?
Leaving the seeds in makes the sauce noticeably hotter. If you want moderate heat, remove most of the seeds before processing the chilies.
I just made a small batch, half the recipe & it tastes great. Can’t wait to use it in some soup tonight & other meals. My only question is if I should refrigerate this & how long it lasts.
How long will it keep in the refrigerator with the fish sauce?