Schezwan Sauce is one of those sauces everybody needs to try to believe how tasty and versatile it is… the best hot sauce!
Jay loves it! He uses it to make Schezwan fried rice, wraps, as a side dip… you name it, he most probably uses it.
But, what is Schezwan Sauce?
Schezwan Sauce is a sauce used in Indo-Chinese Food that is mainly made of red chilies, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar; it is very easy to prepare and it is extremely versatile. Its red color comes from the use of dried red chilies, while its tangy flavor from the vinegar.
If, like me, you are fed up of sauces that have a ridiculous amount of unnecessary oil, salt, sugar, additives… well, you’re on the right page, as this recipe is weight-loss friendly and I have used it many-a-times during my weight-loss journey! As I mentioned many times, a healthy lifestyle does not mean saying NO, it means practicing moderation and being able to make the right choices.
This sauce will not feel like the sensible, weight-loss friendly choice, it will feel like the right choice as it is absolutely delicious and works with in so many dishes!
~~ What about preparing some delicious egg fried rice and adding a spoonful of this Schezwan Sauce to it? Or why not prepare some Schezwan noodles? Well, here’s my super-tasty, healthy, delicious, easy, The Best Egg Fried Rice Recipe… it’s worth well more than a try!
Let’s talk nutrition!
As mentioned, it has multiple ingredients which have glorious health benefits, such as:
- Ginger: it is a plant that generates in South East Asia that is extremely fragrant and amongst the healthiest spices to consume. It is most commonly used fresh, powdered, dried, juiced, or oiled. Ginger contains gingerol, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This spice is often used to relieve the symptoms of nausea, especially morning sickness, reduce the pain of osteoarthritis, and reduce chronic indigestion amongst many others.
- Garlic: while it is extremely flavorful, it has been used as a medicine since ancient history and it still is. Garlic is closely related to the onion, scallion, leek, and chive. It is currently widely used to assist with several conditions linked to the heart and blood system, although it is often used to cure illnesses without any medical research. Some studies though have shown that the consumption of garlic may reduce the risk of lung and brain cancer and hip osteoarthritis among others.
- Spring onion: this very tasty and versatile vegetable is extremely nutritious and full of calcium and Vitamin C. Spring onion also contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, minerals such as copper, chromium, iron, manganese, and potassium, as well as thiamine and folate.
~~ Looking to use the green part of the spring onions as well (after preparing this delicious Schezwan Sauce of course!)? A great tip is to use it to top salads and soups; it works especially well with this Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup… it is out of this World!
How to make Schezwan Sauce?
This Schezwan Sauce recipe is so quick and easy, you won’t believe it when you’re done!
Start by soaking the Kashmiri Chilies (I use these as they are bright red without being overpowering with heat) for a bout half an hour; once done, remove the stem and blend them to create a red chili paste (or sauce). Keep the water of the chilies on the side, as it will be needed while cooking (not to water the sauce down too much) and you can use a bit to help you blend the chilies to a paste as well.
Prepare the spring onions, ginger and garlic by chopping them in thin slices and small dice; once this prep is done, you’re good to go!
Start by warming up the oil and cooking the ginger and garlic until the rawness has gone (but they don’t turn brown) then add the spring onions.
Once the spring onions are cooked as well, add the Kashmiri chili paste and the tomato pure; allow these to cook as well and use some of the leftover water from the chilies if required.
After the chili sauce and tomato paste have cooked, it is time to season the sauce with some vinegar, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce and Ajinomoto. Cook the sauce again and use some more of the ‘spicy water’ to achieve the consistency you like.
When you reach the consistency you like, adjust the seasoning (you may want to keep a bit of the vinegar for this stage), give it a last stir and it is ready to be served!
Enjoy your homemade Schezwan Sauce!
Step 1 - Prepare your Kashmiri Chili Paste
Step 2 - Prepare the Schezwan Sauce
How can I store Schezwan Sauce?
This recipe requires quite a few ingredients, but it can be stored in the fridge in a sealed glass or plastic container for up to two months once prepared, as long as the sauce is removed from the jar using a clean spoon and you cover the top with a little bit of oil if you are not planning to use it for some time. Before putting the sauce in the sealed container, allow it to cool down all the way to room temperature.
The original hot sauce recipe also calls for mustard oil, which is not licensed for food consumption in some countries, such as the US, Canada, and the EU; using a very low quantity of this can have positive health benefits, however, if you feel uncomfortable using it or live in a country where it is not licensed for food consumption, you can replace it with sunflower, vegetable, rice bran or peanut oil, like I did.
~~ Are you in the mood for traditional street food? If so, then you MUST try this authentic Mumbai Toast Sandwich!
How good is this recipe?
You will love this recipe as you can prepare a whole jar and store it away to use in the weeks to come! It is very tasty and just one teaspoon of it can add loads of flavor to noodles, rice, wraps, or side dishes – and it allows you to be creative!
~~Why don’t you grill some chicken and prepare a nice wrap using some homemade Lebanese Mountain bread?
Schezwan Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
- 90 g Fresh Ginger (3.2 oz)
- 90 g Fresh Garlic (3.2 oz)
- 90 g Spring Onion (3.2 oz) the White Part of the Vegetable
- 15 Dried Kashmiri Chilies
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tsp Brown Sugar (Muscovado, or Demerara)
- 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce Thick
- 1 ½ Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp Ajinomoto Chinese Salt
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- In a jar or small jug, put the 15 dried Kashmiri chilies and cover them with warm water; to keep them under the water to soak, choose a container that is slightly wider than a glass, so then you can use a glass to hold the chilies underwater and stop them from floating. Allow the chilies to soak for at least half an hour.
- Finely chop the ginger and garlic in small cubes no more than 1,5mm in size; thinly chop the white part of the spring onion as well. Set all aside.
- In a pan, warm up the sunflower oil on medium heat, but do not allow it to overheat; once warm add the ginger and garlic and reduce the flame to low. Allow these to cook slowly, without browning, until the rawness has gone (about 2-3 minutes), then add the chopped spring onion.
- Mix well and allow to cook on a low flame for a further 4-5 minutes.
- In the meantime, drain the Kashmiri Red Chilies, but keep their water on the side; remove the top of the chilies, if the green part is still there, then grind them to a paste using a little bit of the water they soaked in if needed. Put this chili sauce aside.
- Once ginger, garlic, and spring onions are cooked, add the Kashmiri chili paste and tomato paste to the pan and mix well again; always keeping them on low heat, cook for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the tomato and chili paste are cooked through.
- At this stage add the brown sugar, soy sauce, 1 tbsp of vinegar, and Ajinomoto and mix well; you will need to allow this to cook for a further 5-10 minutes, so add some water from the chilies if necessary.
- Once this all has cooked for 10 minutes longer on a low flame, you can add the last half a tbsp of vinegar and adjust the salt. Mix well and cook for a further minute or two, then allow to cool down before storing in the fridge.
6 Responses
This was easier to make than I thought. Great instructions!
Thank you, Audrey! Very glad to hear so!
Totally digging this schezwan sauce! Made it with crispy tofu, veggies and noodles and it was amazing!
Thank you, Kayla! I love this one too… much better than the store bought ones!
This is perfect!! Love that it is so easy to make!
Yes, an 10X better than shop made! Thank you, Toni!