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Chili + Spice Oil

This stuff is literally good on EVERYTHING. And I don’t say that very often!

Take your steamed greens, brown rice, beans, lentils, salad dressing, Abundance Bowls, soups, stews, and sauces to the next level with just a touch of this oil stirred in – you will not believe how it transforms all that it touches into a beguilingly delicious masterpiece! Keep a jar on hand at all times to impress anyone that comes to enjoy food at your place, or make a batch for gift-giving any time of year.

The recipe for Chile Crisp I was inspired by is from Bon Appetit though the origins of widely-available chile crisp began with the Lao Gan Ma brand (meaning old godmother) in the late 90s. Out of the necessity to support herself and her children, Tao Huabi started her condiment business in Guizhou, China which blossomed into an international brand. With a beloved global audience, Huabi’s line of speciality sauces are daily staples for so many!

As I pondered an oil infusion of my own I decided to use olive oil and keep the heat super low, knowing that certain fats heated above their smoke points create damaging oxidized fats. This helps to preserve some of health-supportive qualities of olive oil that we all know and love while keeping the oxidation at a minimum! To boost the nutrient content of this tasty condiment I used coconut sugar in place of white and used tamari instead of soy sauce to keep things gluten-free. I hope you enjoy this version, are inspired to create your own using what you know and love, and that you love to pour it all over your life too!

Chili + Spice Oil

Ingredients

  • cups / 375ml cold-pressed olive oil
  • 4-5 shallots thinly sliced
  • 15 cloves garlic about 1 head, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 10 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 medium cinnamon stick
  • 1 black cardamom pod crushed
  • 5 whole star anise
  • ¼ cup / 20g cup crushed chili flakes
  • 2 Tbsp. ginger peeled, very finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. tamari
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut sugar

Directions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the oil, shallots, garlic, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom and star anise. Bring to a light simmer, and cook on the lowest heat as possible, and cook for about an hour until the oil is deeply fragrant and the shallots and garlic are totally soft.
  • Add the chili flakes, ginger, tamari and coconut sugar. Stir well to combine, let simmer for 5 more minutes, then turn off the heat and let cool before removing the cinnamon and start anise (if desired). Transfer into a large jar for storage.
  • Keep in the fridge for up one month. Makes a great gift!

Notes

Makes about 1 ½ cups / 375ml
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