How to Make Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
>> Thursday, February 12, 2009
If someone asked me what I would choose as the one single dish to have as my last meal on earth, I would, of course, have a hard time coming up with an answer. However, I am sure the incomparably magnificent combo of hot-off-the-steamer Thai sticky rice, Thai-style grilled chicken, and this beloved Thai sweet chilli sauce would be hovering through my mind as one of the top five contenders.
Thai sweet chilli sauce has been a quintessential part of my life. A life bereft of it is simply unimaginable.
In fact -- and please don't tell anyone -- this post was inspired by a movie which I recently saw wherein the protagonist's existence revolved around hummus to the point that he even used it as toothpaste. This Thai sweet chilli sauce is to me like what hummus is to that guy in the movie.
Customize your sweet chilli sauce according to your heat tolerance.
Short of smearing it on my face in lieu of facial cream (but that's only because chilli sauce lacks SPF to protect you from UVA/UVB), I use this dipping sauce in, and with, everything, even things I shouldn't use it with: fresh spring rolls, fried spring rolls, crispy wantons, Crab Rangoon, fried chicken, grilled chicken, steamed chicken, fried calamari, Lumpia, etc. I mix this sweet chilli sauce with some aïoli and turn that into a dip for Belgian fries -- a practice that probably makes the whole country of Belgium weep bitterly. I brush this sauce on grilled chicken wings and grilled corn cobs. I doctor it up with other ingredients and turn it into various dressings for different things. The list goes on ad infinitum.
If you like Asian cuisine, I promise that having a vat of this highly versatile sauce in your refrigerator will make your life much more pleasant. (Most Thai people have a jar of this in their refrigerator. I know a few who don't. They're weird, though.) Be sure to double, triple, quadruple the recipe; the sauce keeps for a month, refrigerated.
Tips on how to make this sauce for low-carbers or diabetics.
Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce(Makes a little over a cup)
Downloadable Version
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 red Jalapeño or Serrano peppers, deseeded (I keep the seeds in, but your mileage may vary, so adjust the heat accordingly. More seeds = more heat. Keep in mind, however, that the heat is the strongest the day you make the sauce and starts to dissipate gradually. This sauce keeps for a long time, and after a couple of weeks, you can't even taste the pepper.)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch1
2 tablespoons water
Note: If you want to make a large batch of this sauce (more than half a gallon) -- and you certainly should since this sauce lasts a long time -- the best thickener to use is pre-gelatinized or "pre-gel" starch which is both acid- and heat-stable (corn or potato starch is not). It's marketed under the brand name Clearjel®. Your chilli sauce will remain viscous and maintain the nice suspension for the entire duration of its shelf life when thickened with pre-gelatinized starch.
1 Traditionally, Thai sweet chilli sauce is not thickened with starch; the syrupy consistency is achieved through cooking the sauce containing lots of sugar down until it's thick enough to create a good suspension of the garlic-pepper bits. However, if you notice, bottled Thai sweet chilli sauce normally contained a starch thickener. You can go either way. I personally prefer the version that contains less sugar which is this one.Other places where this recipe is mentioned or reviewed:NEW!! For $1.00, you can download a pdf file including photographs and step-by-step instructions on how to make the jelly version of this delicious Thai sweet chilli sauce which has been receiving rave reviews. This sweet and tangy jelly is perfect as a marinade, barbecue glaze, and so much more.The recipe includes photographs and step-by-step instructions on how to make the jelly as well as how to adjust the level of spiciness to your liking. Measurements are given in both metric and imperial units.
Scribd is a third-party document-sharing site which protects your identity, credit card information, and purchase history. To purchase the recipe, please click on the link below.
100 comments:
That's interesting post. Thanks for sharing. Although I'm staying in Thailand, I never cooked this myself. I just went out to the convenient store and got one.
Hello Khun leela,
Just following the link you posted on my blog! What an excellent read! Thanks for sharing this! - (BTW - answering your question regarding Damnoensaduak - I have never been there, so I don't know!)
I love Thai Sweet Chilli sauce and have always wondered how to make my own. Thank you for posting this recipe :)
i ususally buy this sauce and the bottle never lasts long. great recipe, i will be trying it out soon!
You must try this sauce mixed in with your raw eggs when doing scrambled or omelets, or mixed in with the cooked yolks for deviled eggs, or in egg salad, tomato soup, mushroom soup, etc etc. I'm fully addicted to this sauce, as you can see.
Wow, anonymous. These suggestions are very creative. And I thought I knew all the ways this sauce could be used.
Yum, this sounds AMAZING! I love this sauce from the store, so I'm excited to try it at home.
Leela-
I have been thoroughly enjoying your site, and having just found it a few days ago, already tagged a dozen posts to go back to, including this one! Thanks for the recipe; I have just run out of my giant bottle of store-bought stuff and will be making it soon. I wonder what you think about using dried chiles? I have a ton of dried birds-eye chiles staring me in the face...
Welcome Lydia and thanks! :)
This particular dipping sauce is traditionally sweet and sour with bright, vibrant flavor (and color). You won't get that from dried chilies whose smokiness, though delicious, will prevent your sauce from achieving those characteristics.
However, in the Northeast, another kind of dipping sauce, Jaew, is more prevalent. It's made out of fish sauce, dried chili flakes, lime juice, and sometimes sliced green onions or some other fresh indigenous herbs. Jaew isn't as sweet and no attempt is made to thicken it. It's just a very simple dipping sauce in which smokiness is preferred. You may want to try that.
In fact, if you buy traditional grilled spatchcocked chicken on the streets of Bangkok, the vendors usually stick into the chicken bags two kinds of dipping sauces: the sweet one which I blogged about and the Northeastern Jaew which some people prefer.
Leela--thanks for the wisdom! Jaew is actually my second favorite Thai condiment (after the chile sauce you blogged about), I just never knew the name of it! I spent my teenage summers with my Thai stepmother and siblings, and they were from Chiangmai. Wonderful wonderful food memories. Look forward to more of your inspiring posts!
I love it! My family and I purchase warehouse sized portions of sweet Thai Chili sauces, so I'm anxious to try making your version. If it compares, I'll have to quadruple it and pass it around!
Jessica, be sure to let the flavor mellow out for a couple days before you distribute the sauce.
Wonderful recipe - my family enjoys the lumpia rolls I make but we often have to settle for bottled sauces or my lame attempts make a soy sauce and vinegar dip. This is perfect!
I'm so glad to have found this! I love Sweet Chili Sauce but have been buying it because I had no idea how to make it. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!
I love this as a dipping sauce for fried calamari! Mmmmm.
Hello,
I'll definitely be making this sauce, but I actually wanted to ask you the name of the film that inspired the post?
All the best.
Hi Bert, "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" is the movie I was forced to watch ... Silly and crude for the most part and definitely not PG, but there are a few funny moments. :)
Thank you so much for posting this! I became addicted to this while I was living overseas and I have yet to find one in America that was half as good!
Thank you so much for posting this. I am going to give it a try!
Leela! I love this! I love this! I love this! There is a restaurant with a couple locations around Orlando, Florida called Dexter's. They serve "cha cha" chips (sweet potato chips) with a sauce almost exactly like this. I tried several other recipes, but this is by far the best!! I won't be trying any other recipes, that's for sure. Thank you for sharing!
Do you think you can substitute the sugar for a swetener? Would it change the consistency?
Hi Anonymous - Unfortunately, I have never tried making this sauce with artificial sweetener. I figured with some tweaking it *could* be done.
The sugar adds to the total liquid output and makes the consistency of the sauce syrupy, so I think the absence of sugar will affect both the consistency and the volume of the sauce.
A good compromise is the Splenda blend (for baking?) which contains both Splenda and sugar. Would that be a viable option for you?
But if you want to eliminate sugar entirely, you may want to add to the garlic-pepper mixture the amount of artificial sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar, then increase the amount of water from 3/4 to maybe 1 cup or 1 1/4 to make up for the loss of moisture in the absence of melted sugar. You may also want to increase the amount of cornstarch in the slurry to increase the viscosity of the sauce to make up for the lack of the syrupy consistency. The end result would most likely resemble gravy more than honey/gravy. In other words, it will be goopy and viscous but not as sticky as it should be.
This would be an interesting experiment. If you would kindly come back and let us know the result of your tweak, I would be grateful.
i just made this. its wonderful, i think i'll be making much more of this stuff soon! thanks!
Late last night, my wife and I picked up a pack of coconut shrimp with Thai Chili sauce. But we soon ran out of sauce. Your blog came through with the lifesaving answer, as well as providing somethging great to read aloud as the sauce was made. Thanks!
Anonymous - What a cute comment. Thanks. Glad you guys liked it.
My mother made this sauce and called me to let me know about your site and in particular this recipe. She said this was the most amazing sweet chile sauce she'd ever had. I'm tempted to make my own, but Ive never made anything like this before. Would it be possible for you to post step by step pictures to go with this recipe so I would feel more confident making this without you or my mom in the kitchen? I also have an Asian girlfriend I want to impress and I don't want to screw it up. Thanks a lot in advance.
Joe
Thanks for the comment, Joe. Next time I make a batch of this (I make about half a gallon at a time, so it will be a few weeks before I run out of this current batch), I'll be sure to take some pictures.
hey leela. how long does this sauce keep?
Anonymous - My last batch lasted 4 months. The amounts of sugar and vinegar added are large enough to help the sauce keep for a long time in the refrigerator. But I also:
1. Sterilize the jars in which I store it.
2. Never leave the sauce out at room temperature for a long time. I spoon out of the jar just as much as sauce as I need at a time. If there's any left (never), I don't pour it back into the jar.
3. Never dip food right into the jar or use anything but an immaculate clean utensil to spoon the sauce out of the jar.
4. Keep the jar(s) in the back of the refrigerator where the temperature is the lowest.
I've never had a batch that goes bad or grows mold in the fridge before 4 months.
thank you for answering my question :)
You have no idea how long I've been looking for a recipe for this. I can just give you a BIG virtual hug you right now. As much as I love the store bought kind, I'd rather make it at home. =)
I bought a jar of this at my grocery store after having it with fried calamari when my husband & I were in Maryland last month. We both loved it, and after paying over $3 for a 7oz. jar I thought I'm sure there must be a recipe for it-the ingredients were simple. I went on line and in less than 2 minutes found your site. I can't wait to make a batch-we absolutely LOVE this stuff-Thanks Sooooo much!!!
i made the sauce and it was abit cloudy. is it suppose to be like that?
Anon - It's supposed to have the consistency of maple syrup and though not completely clear, not too cloudy. Try cooking it a bit longer or thin it out a bit with water next time to see if the sauce becomes clearer. Cornstarch and tapioca starch when completely cooked should be clear.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I've just made my second batch :) I also included some chopped up onion pieces to mix it up a little! My first batch was nice but i overdid the starch and it turned into jelly overnight!! Batch 2 is currently of liquid condensity and hopefully will stay that way!! Thanks again :D
that is a gorgeous photo! i ran across this on google, looking for a thai chilli sauce to put atop salmon. i'll give this a try, and i think i'll add a little lime zest as well. thanks!
A friend suggested your blog and I am really enjoying it. I've taken many Thai cooking classes and enjoy your take on the recipes. Especially the banana pancakes - delicious.
Can't find red jalapenos in my area. oh well. thanks anyways.
cant find red jalapenos. can u use green or a different peper instead?
Anonymous _ Hmmm ... Have you tried Hispanic grocery stores in your area. I almost always find red jalapenos there. In fact, I bought a bunch the other day from Super Target. But if you really can't find red jalapenos, you can try letting green jalapenos ripen on your kitchen countertop for few days until they turn reddish. I've never done that, but I've been told it works. Your green jalapenos may not get completely red, but it's probably a better solution than to use the green jalapenos.
I figure you could probably make an acceptable sweet dipping sauce with green peppers, but the flavor will definitely be off. It's like how green bell peppers taste different from red bell peppers.
You saved my dinner. We love thai food and bought a thai sauce in a local store that was pretty disappointing. Found your sweet chilli sauce post, which rescued my cooking efforts. Its a stunner. Love it. Thank you.
1) Great photos!. Really nice...
2) I've just finished making the sauce: perfect.. while cooking it, it smells like being in Thailand. Easy, simple, quick, and tastes and smells absolutely fabulous... Thanks!
Hi Leela, Thanks for the recipie
This may be a little difficult to answer as you always make big batches, but using your standard recipe as set out above, how many liters or Fluid OZ do you think you would produce.
Also, would you say your recipe is hotter or milder than a bottle of store bought.
Hi South Oz, this recipe yields approximately 10 fluid ounces. As far as heat level, I usually remove all of the pepper seeds, so it's quite mild - just as mild as most of the Thai brands you find at Asian markets (Mae Ploy, Pantai Norasingh, etc.). You can adjust the heat by leaving in some or all of the pepper seeds. More seeds = more heat. But as I stated in the post, the longer you let the sauce sit, the less hot it becomes. Eventually -- I'd say after a day or two -- the sauce loses most of its heat. If you start off with very hot sauce, by that time it becomes only faintly hot. If you start off mild, without the red color, you won't even know there's chillis in there after a couple of days.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more questions. :)
nice. very impressive.
I love the sauce a lot, but it was way too spicy for me. Can you tell me how I can make the sauce with same color and flavor, but much less spicy?
Anonymous - Here are a few options:
*Since the heat dissipates over time, you may want to try making the sauce 3-4 days before you want to use it. Freshly made sauce can be strong for those with very low heat tolerance.
*Remove all of the seeds and membranes from the peppers as that's where the capsaicin is found in greater quantities. The flesh and skin will be enough to give you the color and flavor without much heat.
*To make the sauce extremely mild -- like cough syrup, zero-heat mild, use only one pepper instead of two and remove all the seeds and membranes. That should still give me some color and flavor.
Make sure that the pepper that you use is jalapeno or serrano. Never use the small bird's eye peppers as they are extremely hot. When it comes to peppers, the general rule is the smaller the hotter. This recipe calls for two red jalapeno peppers.
Hope this helps. :)
I will try it again. Thank you for your help. I am looking forward to learning how to make Pad Thai from you soon!
Ok yesterday I sent my husband to the store to get RED jalapeno or serrano peppers. well he still came home with GREEN. OMG anyways I had a bottle of Chili garlic sauce from Lee Kum Kee in my fridge and decited to experiment with that to get this sauce and it worked. I took 1 TBSP of the chili garlic sauce, 1/2 C sugar and 3/4 Cup of water boiled that together then added the cornstarch mixture and I got a good sauce that wasnt too spicy to use that night, even the kids loved it and they are picky as hell LOL. So for thoes of you who have color blind hubbys or the store doesnt have the red chili peppers then you can substitute the chili garlic sauce from lee kum kee just use the water sugar and cornstarch, the chili garlic sauce already has vinegar and salt in it.
any other substitute for corn, potatoe starch and clearjel??????
Anonymous - Is this because you can't find any of those items in your area, dietary restrictions, or taste preference?
Corn and potato starch is great when you make the sauce in small amount. If you make half a gallon at a time like I do, Clearjel is the way to go. Pre-gelatinized starch cooks clear and is heat and acid stable. All commercial brand names use it.
All starch thickeners work, even all-purpose flour, yielding various results. Clearjel or Wondra Flour is the best. Corn starch yields much better results than other starch thickeners and that's why I recommend it. But bottomline is, any thickener works.
If you don't mind a thin sauce with pieces of garlic and pepper floating at the top, you don't even have to thicken the sauce at all. Thickening doesn't affect taste.
But if this is due to dietary restrictions, you can try making three times more sauce than you want then simmer it down to 1/3 the original amount. That way, you *might* get the sauce to be syrupy and thick without any thickener. I have never tried this, so I can't guarantee whether it will work.
Otherwise, you may want to explore other options such as invert sugar in the form of agave nectar or the much-maligned corn syrup. Honey might work too.
In my opinion, though, if the issue here is unavailability of cornstarch and not due to any dietary restrictions, it's probably best to go through the trouble of finding cornstarch than the trouble of experimenting with other thickeners or sweeteners.
Anonymous - One more thing I forgot to mention: You *could* thicken the sauce with all-purpose flour, but the result will be more gravy-like. I personally don't like that, but depending on what your reason(s) is/are, all-purpose flour is an option.
I made this last night after finding your blog and it is amazing!! And so simple to make, I've never tasted anything so good. My brother keeps helping himself to it today. I'm worried what he's going to resort to putting it on!!
THANK YOU
http://erisunreal.blogspot.com/
I have been looking for the Clearjel everywhere and can not find it. Where can it be found? I don't live in a big city and our stores don't seem to carry it.
Anonymous - Clearjel can be found online kingarthurflour.com, kitchencrafts.com, amazon.com, and several other online retailers carry them. Google is your friend. ;-)
Seriously this is awesome...we buy like bottles of thai sweet chili sauce and use it in almost everythin we eat!!love it!! :)
Hope I'm not too late to enter this comment. I made this sauce over the weekend and it was better than any I have ever bought!!!
I just wanted to say that I too am having trouble getting the red jalapenos. Bearing in mind you said that if you use dried chillies you won't get the vibrant red colour - I experimented using dried chillies for the flavour and 1/2 an ordinary red bell pepper for the colour. The result was absolute perfection.
Today I have to cook loads more batches for each of the dinner guests I had to have their own jar. Thankyou so much. I can't even buy bottled sauce here in the heart of rural Spain so I just know this is one recipe I am going to be using over and over. Thanks again
Aaah a recipe for my fresh peppers that just came from the plant outside :)
Never thought they would grow over here (netherlands) but my plant produces peppers every week :)
Ahhh, thank you!! I LOVE sweet chili sauce and, like the person who posted the recipe, like it on everything!! Can't wait to make this.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, it looks and sounds delicious. Just a few questions:
Where in a supermarket would I find Corn/Potato Starch? Or is that a silly question lol? Or is there any substitution of this ingredient?
And can the White Vinegar be substituted for another type of vinegar? I'm in France, and most, if not all, their vinegar seems to be alcohol based.
Thanks, Charlotte :)
Charlotte - Thanks. :) In the US, corn starch is often found in the same aisle as baking soda or baking powder. Potato starch is most likely found in Asian grocery stores. If you're in Paris, Tang Frères is the place to go for that. While there, you probably want to grab a bottle of white vinegar that is heavily used in Asian cooking as well. It's by far the best vinegar to use in this recipe. The only substitute that will not create a catastrophic result is perhaps apple cider vinegar. Yet, even that will create an off taste. All alcohol- or fruit-based vinegars, in my opinion, will pretty much turn the sauce into a completely different thing -- for better or for worse.
Check out Tang Frères if you live close to one. I'm sure they got everything you need there.
Hi Leela thank you for your help :) Having looked on the internet I've realised US Corn Starch is what we call Corn Flour, which I already have some of luckily! Unfortunately I am about 4 hours away from Paris and have not heard of Tang Freres, but I am going up the shop in a minute and with a bit of luck they'll sell some White Vinegar! Will let you know how it goes when/if I attempt to make this!
Thanks, Charlotte :)
I was wondering if I could use cayenne peppers instead of Jalapenos seeing as I have 5 cayenne plants producing tons of peppers.
Thanks,
Jen
Jen - Certainly. You may want to remove the seeds and membranes, though, as cayenne is much hotter than red jalapeno. The former is in the 30,000-50,000 on the Scoville scale, whereas the latter is only in the 2,500-8,000 range.
Leela,
Thank you so much...I made it with 3 small cayenne peppers. It was very hot but it was exactly what I was looking for. The thought of making one of my favorite condiments in just a few minutes is worth it. Thanks again...love you blog!
Jen
Jen - Glad to know it worked out. The heat should subside in a couple of days; that is, if you have any leftover sauce. :)
This sweet chilli sauce is amazing. I made it tonight to use as a dip for the coconut prawns I made and it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely make this one again!!
Hi, Leela. This looks like a great recipe, and I can't wait to try it out! I'm curious whether jars of this sauce could be processed in a boiling water bath or pressure canner so that they don't have to be refrigerated. I noticed that you have a jelly version of the recipe for canning, but I think I'd like the consistency of the non-jelly version better.
Thanks!
brianc - The jelly version has been tested for pH, so I know for sure it can be processed in a water bath without the risk of botulism (the jelly version has a different ratio). I've never run the non-jelly version through the same test, however. Besides, the addition of starch may (or may not) affect the level of acidity. The best way is to do a pH test. In most cases, if the pH value is over 4.6, you're good.
Hello, just me again.
I made the sauce but although I had to use Pimento peppers (as the shops over here in France are rubbish for fruit and vegetables!), it was mmm sooo good! My mum was equally as impressed, and we have since made several batches! We have used it as a dipping sauce mainly, but I have also used it for Sticky Chilli Shredded Beef which turned out to be a surprising success! Thanks for your recipe :D
Charlotte - Thanks. It's feedback like this that makes blogging and sharing recipes worthwhile. Your sticky chilli shredded beef sounds really good! :)
An amazing recipe. I just made it in 20 minutes to go with some squat lobster tails. For Brits: I had two organic green jalapenos to hand, but added two teaspoons of Very Lazy Red Chilis and then adjusted the sugar to my taste. 1 TBSP of corn flour made it go instantly to restaurant-quality thickness.
BEAUTIFUL!!!!
So I made your incredibly simple with these substitutions:
*fresh cayenne instead of serrano
*korean hardneck garlic instead of commerical white garlic
*brown sugar instead of white
Result?
Very spicy, very tasty sauce for my chicken!
Thank you for this.
Brent - I have to try making this with brown sugar. Thanks for the report and a great idea!
WOW just made my first batch of it this morning , excellent recipe !!!
I am going to have with some shrimp for lunch
Thanks for sharing this with us all
Kind Regards Mark
Hello,
do you think I could use corn flour instead of cornstarch? thanks
Anon - Cornstarch is a more common term in the US for corn flour, but both are the same. I'm assuming we're talking about the second item on this list. But if by corn flour, you mean corn meal (semolina) -- the stuff you make cornbread with -- then no.
Leela - Thanks for your answer.I didnt mean semolina.I live in UK where they call cornstarch corn flour, hence the confusion.
Hi leela,
Is it 3 garlic cloves or 3 HEADS of garlic. In the picture of the food processor, it looks like a lot more than the 3 cloves the recipe calls for.
Thanks,
Anon - Three large garlic cloves. Sorry about the misleading pictures. I always makes 5-6 times the recipe. :)
I used crushed red pepper instead of jalapenos. I also didn't have cornstarch so I used some powdered sugar instead. Made me feel a bit creative but there's not really enough cornstarch in there to make a difference, and I don't like it enough to try replacing all the sugar with it.
My garlic did turn blue-green, which I read is a result of a reaction between enzymes/compounds in garlic and trace amounts of copper found in vinegar, though some people have reported it from using other acidic ingredients. Really really weird, because I cook with garlic all the time and never had that happen - though I guess I've never used such a high proportion of vinegar before. Anyway, it was rather unsettling, so I strained it out.
Delicious nonetheless :)
I bet this would be good as a marinade if left unthickened, maybe with some lime juice..
Thank you for posting the receipe... After came back from Hatyai... I feel anxious to make Gai Tod Hatyai with home made sweet chilli sauce rather buying at the Supermarket.
Hi Leela and thanks for this great recipe!.
I have just harvested some 30 jalapeños... I was wondering what to do with them. I made the Thai sauce, but there a still lots of peppers. I remember seeing in Thailand and old man cutting chilies with scissors in very thin slices. I just can't recollect whether he was putting these slices in oil, vinegar or what... maybe you can suggest me what to do with them.
Thanks a lot!
Martin - I bet he was making chilies in vinegar for street noodles. All you have to do is cut the peppers crosswise into 1/8-inch thick pieces and pour just enough white vinegar to keep them submerged.
Here are a few other ideas for what to do with fresh peppers:
Thai Sriracha sauce
Seafood Dipping Sauce
Nam Pla Prik
Amazing! Just what I needed to use up my wilting chillis and it's so easy! Thanks!
I am loving your website and this sweet chilli sauce recipe! I made a HUGE batch and canned it. I just found myself eating the leftovers in the pan with a spoon! Thank you for sharing your marvelous talent!
Kyli - Thank you! Be careful about canning this recipe, though. It has not been tested for pH value and I can't guarantee that it's safe for canning.
Thanks for posting this! This is one of chilli sauces I really really love!
The one thing I need to know - what was the movie about the hummus-obsessed guy? I need to see it.
Anon - You're the second one who has asked this. Check out Don't Mess with the Zohan.
Despite having some good Latin and Asian markets in the area, I haven't been able to find red jalapenos or serranos, only green. Did you choose those peppers for authenticity or convenience? If convenience, then would Thai Bird's eye chili be more authentic? I'm able to get those.
Dan - Large red peppers (prik chi fa) are just as much a part of Thai cuisine as bird's eye chilies (I assume that's what you mean by authenticity). The main reason this type of pepper is used is because it's not as hot as bird's eye and gives you more pulp (which gives the sauce body) for the level of heat appropriate for this condiment. The amount of bird's eye you'll need to achieve the same amount of pulp will make for a much, much too hot sauce (this sauce isn't meant to be suer hot). If you don't mind that, by all means, use bird's eye chilies. It's not more authentic, but it's probably less of a hassle to find. As for green jalaoenos, I don't like the flavor of green peppers in this sauce.
Note to self: do not substitute ten bird chilis for the red jalapenos, lol. That's a spicy sauce.
Mrs. B. - Oh, no. Sorry to hear. Bird's eye chilies are way hotter than red jalapenos. We're talking 50000-100000 versus 2500-8000 on the Scoville scale. Don't throw the sauce away, though. Let it sit in the fridge for a week or so; the heat dissipates over time. Alternatively, you can make another batch without the chilies and mix it with whatever is left from this batch. That should result in a sauce that is not too hot.
It's my first visit here, won't be my last.
Love your site,
Pierre.
Ha, hadn't heard that about the Zohan movie.
I use capsaicin cream for my balky knee -- maybe I should be using bird's eye sauce!
I've just made my own thai chilli sauce using your recipe. Thanks a lot!
Hello,just found your page when i was looking for this sauce recipe,im currently living in Brazil and cant find it anywhere here.
Thanks for sharing all the nice things here.
I loving read your page,congrats wonderful job.
We just made some of this, it tastes wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. Each one I've made I've been so happy with, and your narrative before your recipes are just as wonderful.
Another WONDERFUL Thai recipe - THANK YOU! Just BTW, I used arrowroot instead of corn starch - it gives it a more glistening character, and I don't THINK it changed the taste...? Again, thank you for all these terrific recipes and tips ☺
AMH - Great tip! Thank you.
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