Nip’s Chili Oil
Nip’s Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 3 cups olive oil, plus a bit more, as needed
- 1/2 red onion, large, thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (sideways coins)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1/2 cup dried baby shrimp
- 1 cup Sri Lankan red chili flakes
- 1 pinch MSG
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Pour about 2 cups of the olive oil into a pot. Heat it on low heat until gently warm, about 150-175°F.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 160
- 2
Add the thinly sliced red onions to the warm oil and fry until they are brown and crispy. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes. Once done, remove the fried onions from the oil using a slotted spoon and set them aside.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Add the thinly sliced garlic to the same oil and fry until it is almost golden and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the fried garlic and set it aside.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Add the 2 sprigs of curry leaves to the oil. Let them crisp up, which happens quickly, about 30 seconds. Remove them immediately once crispy and set aside.
⏱️ 1 min
- 5
Add the 1/2 cup of dried baby shrimp to the oil. Fry for about 10 seconds until lightly crispy. Remove the fried shrimp and set it aside.
⏱️ 1 min
- 6
In a heatproof mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup of Sri Lankan red chili flakes, a pinch of MSG, and a pinch of salt.
⏱️ 2 min
- 7
Carefully pour the hot oil (that was used for frying the aromatics) over the chili mixture in the bowl. Be cautious as it may bubble.
⏱️ 1 min
- 8
Add the 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the chili oil mixture. Mix everything well with a spoon.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
Let the chili oil mixture cool down completely to room temperature. This will take several hours.
⏱️ 180 min
- 10
Once the oil has cooled, add all the previously fried onions, garlic, curry leaves, and shrimp back into the chili oil mixture.
⏱️ 2 min
- 11
Add black pepper to taste. Top up the mixture with the remaining olive oil, as needed, to ensure all ingredients are submerged. Mix everything one final time.
⏱️ 2 min
- 12
Transfer the chili oil to an airtight container. Let it sit for at least 24 hours before using to allow the flavors to meld and deepen.
⏱️ 1440 min
Kitchen Tools
Nip’s Chili Oil
- 3 cups olive oil, plus a bit more, as needed
- 1/2 red onion, large, thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (sideways coins)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1/2 cup dried baby shrimp
- 1 cup Sri Lankan red chili flakes
- 1 pinch MSG
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Pour about 2 cups of the olive oil into a pot. Heat it on low heat until gently warm, about 150-175°F.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 160 - 2
Add the thinly sliced red onions to the warm oil and fry until they are brown and crispy. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes. Once done, remove the fried onions from the oil using a slotted spoon and set them aside.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Add the thinly sliced garlic to the same oil and fry until it is almost golden and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the fried garlic and set it aside.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Add the 2 sprigs of curry leaves to the oil. Let them crisp up, which happens quickly, about 30 seconds. Remove them immediately once crispy and set aside.
⏱️ 1 min - 5
Add the 1/2 cup of dried baby shrimp to the oil. Fry for about 10 seconds until lightly crispy. Remove the fried shrimp and set it aside.
⏱️ 1 min - 6
In a heatproof mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup of Sri Lankan red chili flakes, a pinch of MSG, and a pinch of salt.
⏱️ 2 min - 7
Carefully pour the hot oil (that was used for frying the aromatics) over the chili mixture in the bowl. Be cautious as it may bubble.
⏱️ 1 min - 8
Add the 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the chili oil mixture. Mix everything well with a spoon.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
Let the chili oil mixture cool down completely to room temperature. This will take several hours.
⏱️ 180 min - 10
Once the oil has cooled, add all the previously fried onions, garlic, curry leaves, and shrimp back into the chili oil mixture.
⏱️ 2 min - 11
Add black pepper to taste. Top up the mixture with the remaining olive oil, as needed, to ensure all ingredients are submerged. Mix everything one final time.
⏱️ 2 min - 12
Transfer the chili oil to an airtight container. Let it sit for at least 24 hours before using to allow the flavors to meld and deepen.
⏱️ 1440 min