Thursday, July 17, 2008

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chili Sauce

I bookmarked Wandering Chopsticks' recipe for Tuong Ot Xa, or Lemongrass Chili Sauce, back when she first posted it. My serranos are extremely proliferative this year, and, at WC's suggestion, I used them for the sauce.















I started by mincing lemongrass, then finely chopping it, almost pureeing, in my spice grinder. Same with onion and garlic. Same with the fresh serranos, and the dried chilis de arbol (seeds removed).















(That's a bowl of ground-up chilis. Sorry for the blurriness and overexposure. Oh, and here's a tip - don't stick your face right over the grinder when you take the lid off.)

Saute it all up in a bunch of oil (I used mostly canola with a smidge of peanut), throw in your sugar, salt, fish sauce, and Sriracha, and let simmer for 10 minutes.















My conclusion?

Either WC has an extremely high tolerance for pain, or I used some damn-hot chilis! However, it's soooo tasty. I can't wait to put it on absolutely everything.

14 comments:

Wandering Chopsticks said...

Haha. Not me. My dad. He eats bird's eye chilies raw. Takes a bite of the chili before eating anything. Try adding in more oil, smooths out the paste into a sauce. Tones down the spiciness a bit. Helps to preserve the chilies too.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

That does look hot hot hot! But I agree, add some oil. Then share with friends who love spicy food!

Vicki said...

Hi WC & Lydia -
I'll try more oil when I get home today. My whole household is chili-addicted, so even hot-hot-hot won't stop us!

kat said...

woah! that sounds way to hot for me though my husband would love it!

Vicki said...

Hey kat -
Yup, it's super-hot! I think next time I'll cut back on the dried chilis, and use jalapenos instead of serranos.

Krizia said...

This looks so freaking good! I love spicy/hot food :D I'm going to have to try this. AHHHH!

Vicki said...

Hey Krizia -
It's tasty, but HOT! Careful...

test it comm said...

That chili sauce looks good! Making your own is always fun.

Vicki said...

Hi Kevin -
Honestly, this one wasn't that much fun. The fumes made my eyes water for days!

gaga said...

Mmm, I've never made my own chili sauce but you've just inspired me to give it a try! Thanks!

Vicki said...

Hi gaga - Try! But be careful and wear goggle or turn on a vent or something :)

Jeff Pulice said...

I tried another non-cooked recipe and it didn't come out the way I want it. This looks good, but I have questions:
1. How long did it keep? Did it have to be refrigerated?
2. Why did you add Sriracha?
3. Did you remove the seeds from all the peppers? The 'before' photo seems to have peppers.
Please let me know; I'll send pictures after I make it!
Great site, BTW.

Vicki said...

Hi Vanilla Chunk -
1. Refrigerated, yes. I don't remember how long it lasted.
2. I added Sriracha because Wandering Chopsticks' recipes told me too. However, it was so hot, that you could probably skip it.
3. I didn't seed the fresh chiles, but I did remove the seeds from the dried ones. Again, it was so hot that you may want to seed all of them.

That being said, it was good, but I don't think mine turned out the way it should have. I strongly recommend perusing Wandering Chopsticks for good advice on Vietnamese cooking.

Anonymous said...

making this as my christmas work gifts this year!