Blogging Marathon #65 Week 4 Day 1
Theme: One Sauce, Two dishes
Dish: Schezwan Sauce
Schezwan sauce or Szechuan sauce, an essential condiment in all Indo-Chinese dishes needs no introduction. Every course of Indo-Chinese has this sauce in it. Whether it is appetizers like schezwan fingers, schezwan potatoes or main course items like vegetables in schezwan sauce or even schezwan rice or schezwan noodles; every dish has it! So for a family that loves their Indo-Chinese dishes at home, this sauce would have a permanent place in the refrigerator!
Our family is just like that. We love all these dishes and so home-made schezwan sauce is always found in the house. Not only Chinese, this sauce has now found a place in all cuisines from Schezwan Dosa to Schezwan Vada Pav. This spicy sauce tastes amazing with all kinds of pakodas and even with parathas.
So, today on the first day of week 4 of Blogging Marathon, where the theme is to make a sauce on day one and two dishes using the sauce on the following days I chose this spicy yet delicious sauce. The recipe is a simple one and can be made in advance. In fact, it should be made in advance as the taste deepens as the days pass. Making the sauce a couple of days before you want to use it is the best. The flavors get completely absorbed and the sauce tastes amazing.
Here is the recipe for Schezwan Sauce today, and come back tomorrow and day after for two cool dishes made using this sauce. I promise they are as easy and yummy as this sauce!
Ingredients
Dried Kashmiri Chillies 1 cup
Garlic 2-3 pods
Ginger 1 inch piece
Chilli Oil 2 tbsp
Vegetable Oil 3-4 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tsp
Salt
Method
Remove stems, veins and seeds of the kashmiri chillies. Chop into pieces and set aside. Mince ginger and garlic pods.
In a pan heat vegetable oil and chilli oil. Turn down the heat and add the chillies. Make sure all the chillies are submerged in the oil. Add the minced garlic and ginger and mix well. Let them cool for a couple of hours.
Once cool, blend to a fine paste with salt and vinegar. Add more oil if required. Do not use any water in the sauce.
Once pureed, store in an airtight container. Refrigerate and use as required.
Use the sauce to make amazing dishes like this Schezwan Fried Rice, Schezwan Dumplings and Chinese Bhel!
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#65
Sowmya :) says
This looks lovely...so many dishes come from such a simple sauce
Smruti Ashar says
Thanks a lot!! 🙂 Yes I love making a bulk and storing it in my refrigerator.
MySpicyKitchen says
Love that fiery red color of the sauce and looks absolutely lip smacking !!
Smruti Ashar says
Thanks a lot Usha!! 🙂
Sarita says
Nice pics.. Sauce looks super delicious...
Smruti Ashar says
Thanks a lot Sarita!!
www.annapurnaz.in says
The bright red color of the sauce looks so inviting!!
Smruti Ashar says
Thanks a lot!! 🙂
Pavani says
Spicy & delicious schezwan sauce. Love the color of your sauce -- looks perfectly spicy.
Smruti Ashar says
Thanks a lot Pavani!! 🙂
Priya Suresh says
Omg, the colour of the sauce itself makes me drool.
Smruti Ashar says
Thanks a lot Priya!! It was super hot 🙂
Srivalli says
Wow that sauce has got me drooling!...can't wait to see what you have used this sauce..
Smruti Ashar says
Thanks a lot Valli!! I had a tough time selecting two recipes from the sauce. I had a list of atleast a dozen 🙂
Unknown says
What is chilli oil? Which brand do u use and how does it tastes? Never saw in US groceries store,hence curious ☺☺
Smruti Ashar says
Chilli Oil is simply the oil left after you saute dry chillies in hot oil. It can be made at home using sesame oil and spicy chillies or bought from the Asian store. I get mine from Ranch 99. They carry a couple of brands with everything written in Chinese!
cookingwithsapana says
Schezwan sauce looks so perfect and I love the deep red color of it.
Dianna says
How long does this oil keep in the refrigerator?
herbsmruti says
It stays well for at least 3 weeks when refrigerated.
Dianna says
Thank you!