Schezwan Sauce
Recipe: Schezwan Sauce
Schezwan Sauce is a popular flavourful, hot and spicy sauce that is used mostly for Indo Chinese Dishes. It is a combination of both the Indian and Chinese flavours. Schezwan Sauce is readily available in all the stores but I like to make my own. Firstly, I can control the spice level and secondly because it is free from chemical preservatives and artificial flavours.
Sharing This Recipe With 2024 Alphabet Challenge Group
We are fast approaching the end of this challenge. We’re on letter S. Such a fun group and love the variety of recipes that the participants come up with every fortnight. Letter S as such is not a different letter as so many ingredients and dishes begin with S. I’ve had Schezwan Sauce post in the draft file for over 3 years! Perhaps it was meant to be shared for this challenge.
Memories
Born and brought up in Kenya I had no idea that Indo Chinese Cuisine existed. In Kenya Chinese restaurants are run by Chinese and the food is Chinese. What a pleasant surprise it was years back when hubby and I went for a Chinese meal in Mumbai. The flavours and ingredients used were so different from what we experience in Kenya. The flavours and ingredients were so different. Spicy, sweet, a bit tangy. A burst of flavours. That is when I tasted Schezwan Sauce and loved it. Exploration of more Indo Chinese dishes began in our Kenyan Kitchen through Tarla Dalal’s cookery books.
The Alphabet Challenge Journey So Far
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Ingredients Required For Schezwan Sauce
Dried Red Chillis, Whole
We need both spicy and not to spicy dried red chillis. Depending on which variety you get, some of the hot red chillis are:
- Mathania – from Rajasthan Region
- Guntur – from Andhra Pradesh
- Boriya – from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
- Teja – from Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
- Madras Puri – from Andhra Pradesh
- Birds Eye Red Chillis
The mild ones that can be used for the recipe are:
- Kashmiri Red Chilli
- Byadagi – from Karnataka
- Mundu – from Tamil Nadu
Oil
Use any oil of your choice. I have used sunflower oil. I add a bit more as the oil acts as a preservative. Also you can sometimes drizzle the spicy oil in your soups, on salads, rice, noodles, etc.
Garlic
Peel and finely chop or mince the garlic.
Ginger
Peel and chop finely or mince it to a coarse paste in a food processor.
Salt
I have used normal table salt.
Soy Sauce
Use good quality soy sauce. Can use the dark or light one. I prefer to use the dark one as it has more intense flavour.
Sichuan Pepper
Crushed or ground. If you don’t have any then use normal black pepper. The taste will differ a bit.
Sugar
Adjust the amount according to your taste. Can use white or brown sugar.
Vinegar
Use good quality vinegar. I like to use either rice or white wine vinegar.
Tomato Sauce | Ketchup
I add fresh tomato sauce or passata. If you are using fresh tomato sauce then cook it first to remove the water content. Alternately, can add tomato ketchup.
SCHEZWAN SAUCE | INDO CHINESE SCHEZWAN SAUCE
Schezwan Sauce is a popular flavourful, hot and spicy sauce that is used mostly for Indo Chinese Dishes. It is a combination of both the Indian and Chinese flavours. Schezwan Sauce is readily available in all the stores but I like to make my own. Firstly, I can control the spice level and secondly because it is free from chemical preservatives and artificial flavours.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry hot red chillies
- 1/2 cup kashmiri / byadagi red chillies
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup garlic finely chopped or minced
- 1/4 cup ginger finely chopped or minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp soy sauce dark
- 1 tbsp sugar brown or whitte
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce/ ketchup
- 8-10 sichuan pepper crushed
Instructions
SOAK THE RED CHILLIS
- Wash both the red chillis in a colander to remove any dirt. If need be pluck off the stem.
- If need be remove seeds from some of the hot dry red chillis so that the sauce is not too hot.
- Add enough water to soak both the chillis. Press them down gently so they soak well.
- Allow them to soak for at least 30-60 minutes.
PREPARATION OF SCHEZWAN SAUCE
- Transfer the soaked chillis along with the water to a wok or saucepan.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Cover the pan with a lid. Cook the chillis in the water for about 5-10 minutes over low to medium heat.
- This will make them soft.
- Take the pan off the heat. Allow the soften red chillis to rest in the hot water for another 5-10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, fish out the red chillis into a blender jar. Add about ¼ cup water if need be. Use the water in which the chillis were boiled.
- Process the red chillis to a paste. Can make it completely smooth or leave it a bit chunky. I left mine a bit chunky.
- Heat the oil in a wok or pan over medium heat. Use the right amount of oil. This helps to preserve the sauce and also the chilli oil is useful for drizzling over soups.
- Add the finely chopped garlic. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the finely chopped ginger. Stir fry till the mixture turns light brown in colour. You will find that as the garlic and ginger get cooked, more oil will be seen.
- Add the chilli paste. Cook the mixture till the water evaporates and the sauce becomes thick. Again cook it well so that it does not get spoiled quickly.
- When the sauce is properly cooked you will not see water bubbles and oil will appear on the sides.
- Add salt, sugar, soy sauce, sichuan pepper and tomato sauce. Mix well.
- When the sauce cools down a bit, store it in an airtight jar.
Notes
- If you don't want a very hot sauce then use more of the kashmiri or bedki chillis and less of the hot ones.
- Adjust the spices according to your taste.
- I store the sauce in the fridge as that way it stays fresh longer.
- Soak the chillis to make them soft. Don't miss this step.
Pin For Later
A Small Request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62
18 Comments
Wendy Klik
September 11, 2024 at 8:03 am
I love this homemade sauce where you know exactly what you are getting.
mayurisjikoni
September 12, 2024 at 5:18 am
Thanks Wendy and you are so right.
hobby baker Kelly
September 11, 2024 at 1:58 pm
This sounds like something I would love to add to all my stir fries!
mayurisjikoni
September 12, 2024 at 5:18 am
Thanks Kelly, not only good for stir fries but also as a spread for sandwiches, wraps and we also add a few drops of the oil to our soups.
Sweet Whiskey Skillet Teriyaki Chicken
September 11, 2024 at 2:29 pm
[…] Schezwan Sauce by Mayuri’s Jikoni […]
Karen’s Kitchen Stories
September 11, 2024 at 3:03 pm
This sounds so good! I love making my own sauces. I love cooking with chili garlic sauce. Can’t wait to try this one!
mayurisjikoni
September 12, 2024 at 5:17 am
Thank you so much Karen.Am sure you will not regret making this sauce at home.
Jolene
September 12, 2024 at 11:05 am
Thank you so much for all the info on the different kinds of chiles, I had no idea there were so many. Homemade is always better than store bought, this looks amazing!
mayurisjikoni
September 17, 2024 at 12:29 am
Jolene that is just the tip of the variety of chillis. There are so many Mexican variety too.
Sneha Datar
September 14, 2024 at 6:41 am
Nothing can beat the taste and flavor of this homemade Schezwan sauce!
mayurisjikoni
September 17, 2024 at 12:25 am
Thanks Sneha, yes I agree with you.
Spanakoparatha – Magical Ingredients
September 14, 2024 at 11:49 am
[…] Mayuri’s Jikoni: Schezwan Sauce […]
Colleen – Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
September 14, 2024 at 4:21 pm
What a great sauce recipe…especially for people like me who are spice whimps! I love that I can control the spice level!!!
mayurisjikoni
September 17, 2024 at 12:24 am
Thank you so much Colleen. My spice tolerance is a bit low so prefer to make Schezwan Sauce at home.I find the Indian brand too hot.
Radha
September 17, 2024 at 9:09 pm
Schezwan flavored noodles and rice are loved in my home. This sauce will make the preparation of loved dishes easier as homemade is the best! I love the break up of what type of chilies could used for milder and spicier version as this provides more clarity on what to use. This is going to be the one that I am making this weekend.
mayurisjikoni
September 20, 2024 at 10:34 am
Thank you so much Radha. I am quite particular about the chillis I use as I don’t like the sauce to be too hot. Enjoy the home made Schezwan sauce.
Wordle Unlimited
September 23, 2024 at 4:45 am
Oh my goodness, this Schezwan sauce looks incredibly spicy! Just by looking at it, I can feel my mouth watering and my tongue tingling.
mayurisjikoni
September 30, 2024 at 10:17 am
Thank you so much, but as I mentioned in the post I have used two varieties of chillis so it is not too spicy though it looks like that.