Deliciously fiery and full of umami, this Homestyle Chinese Red Chili Paste without sugar, or sauce de piment rouge (French), is my favorite chili pepper paste of all time. Just like the Mauritian Fish Vindaye, this is another recipe that is closely based on my grandma’s. It is spicy as all get out, and yet I have witnessed her cut open a pain maison (small round bread), generously smear it with this chili paste, and eat it like it was nothing. This paste is not a filling and I do not recommend you try this as it will burn you and you will not like me for it!
I do sometimes wonder if her red chili paste was my first food as a baby because Heaven forbid, I run out of it! My husband keeps one in the fridge at work and my freezer usually has several jars on-the-ready.
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What is Chinese red chili paste and what makes it homestyle?
As the name suggests, this Homestyle Chinese Red Chili Paste is usually served in Chinese homes. Most Chinese restaurants also make their own version of it. Usually, Chinese street food vendors use a commercial red hot sauce that is less of a paste and more of a sauce and with super basic ingredients. Homemade red chili pastes are always much better than store-bought ones. Although it is not as common as our Mazavaroo Chili Paste, the Chinese red chili paste is nevertheless an essential part of Sino-Mauritian cookery and very much a part of the Mauritian food scene.
It is made with a combination of small red fiery chili peppers (ti pima rouge), garlic, vinegar or lemon juice, soy sauce, oil and optional special ingredients such as dried small shrimp, dried squid powder, onion, ginger, fish sauce and even rum. These optional special ingredients are what make the red chili paste homestyle, that and the fact that it is more a paste than a sauce. Back in the day, the dried shrimp and dried squid powder would be made at home and not purchased at a store. Of course nowadays the regular individual doesn’t have time for these extra (tedious) steps and there’s also an abundance of these ready-made Chinese specialty products at stores.
The red chili paste ingredients are blended in a food processor or ground into a fine paste with a mortar and pestle, the latter being more traditional. It can be enjoyed as is without cooking, or gently stir-fried in a pan. The red chili paste is easier on the stomach and lasts longer in the fridge when you cook it, and I think it tastes better too.
How do we use it?
Evidently, it goes exceptionally well on all Chinese food. What I love about it is, besides being scrumptiously spicy, it’s also packed with layers of umami from the addition of soy sauce and white rum! So I love to use a generous amount whenever I want a lift of heat and flavor to my food. Naturally, I use it profusely on dumplings and soups. Like below:
Ingredients, additions and swaps
Dried shrimp or dried squid powder
To add another layer of umami to your Chinese red chili paste, incorporate some dried shrimp or dried squid powder. Although they vary in sizes, it’s most common to find the dried Asian shrimp ranging from tiny to small, 5mm to 10mm. Soak one to two tablespoons of dried shrimp with warm water until soft (takes about 30 mins), chop finely, sautée in a pan until fragrant, and finally add the rest of your chili paste ingredients.
Dried squid powder might be a bit hard to find so you can make your own by cutting the dried squid into small pieces and grinding in a food processor or spice grinder. Both the dried shrimp and dried squid can be found in any Asian supermarkets.
Dried shiitake powder
Chinese condiments go well with dried shiitake powder. Add some to your paste to bring in some extra depth of flavor and tame the heat just a touch.
Ginger
Ginger is a lovely and welcomed addition to Chinese red chili paste.
Vinegar or lemon juice
Unlike the Mazavaroo Chili Paste, this Homestyle Chinese red chili paste is not tangy. I like to add a bit of lemon juice to balance the taste and the heat level, but not to bring a tanginess element to the mix. Use any one of the following or a combination: white vinegar, rice vinegar, lemon juice and its zest.
Fish sauce
If you have fish sauce at home, reduce the amount of soy sauce that this recipe calls for and add a bit of fish sauce.
My version
As mentioned earlier, this sugar-free Homestyle Chinese red chili paste is another recipe inspired by my grandma’s. The paste contains Thai red chili peppers, loads of garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, white rum and vegetable oil. I sometimes like to mix it up and add any combination of the following: fish sauce, dried shrimp, dried squid powder, shiitake mushroom powder, whiskey and lemon zest. These additional ingredients will lend even more umami layers and Chinese flavor to your red chili paste if you decide to go that route. Let me know what combination you decided to go with in the comment section below!
If you like to have a go at another Mauritian condiment favorite, check out my Basic Mazavaroo Chili Paste that go well with not just Chinese dishes, but all Mauritian food.
Reasons to love this recipe
- No sugar: Unlike other Chinese red chili paste recipes, this one doesn’t have any use for sugar and you will not miss it.
- Very quick: You can make this in about 20 minutes max, including preparation time.
- Simple Ingredients: It contains only 6 basic ingredients.
- Keeps for a long time: It will keep in the fridge for weeks. Top it with vegetable oil to extend its shelf life.
- Freezer-friendly: Double the batch and freeze 1 jar for later.
- Versatile condiment: This Chinese red chili paste will complement a lot of your Asian dishes including dumplings.
- Vegan: This recipe does not contain any animal product, unless you use the optional fish sauce.
Recipe ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Homestyle Chinese Red Chili Paste:
- Garlic
- Red chili peppers (Thai, birds eye, ti pima)
- Vegetable oil
- White rum
- White vinegar
- Soy sauce
Storage
Let the red chili paste cool down completely so it does not trap moisture. You can store it in a sterilized jar in the fridge for a few weeks. Top it with vegetable oil if you want it to keep for longer. It freezes well and keeps for several months that way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can use a mortar and pestle, blender, or a food processor to grind your ingredients. However, all of this can be achieved by hand if you do not mind chopping the ingredients very finely with a knife.
It is very quick and easy to make. It takes roughly 25 minutes from beginning to end.
Yes, this recipe calls for red Thai chili peppers and it is a chili paste that does not contain any sugar to tame it, so it is very spicy. There are three ways to make a milder version:
1 Add dried shrimp, dried squid powder and/or dried shiitake mushroom powder
2. Increase the amount of garlic, vinegar, lemon juice or oil
3. Incorporate ginger
4. Remove the seeds and membrane (the membrane is where the heat is at) of the chili peppers
5. Add a negligible amount of sugar (a pinch)
Yes, this Homestyle Chinese Red Chili Paste with garlic freezes really well and keeps for months in the freezer.
If you don’t like rum, you can use Japanese sake or whiskey instead. If you would prefer to not use alcohol, you can omit it altogether. This will barely affect the taste.
Homestyle Chinese Red Chili Paste with Garlic (La sauce pima)
Equipment
- 1 Mortar and pestle (this is ideal to grind the paste but not essential)
- 1 Blender or food processor (you can use a blender or food processor instead to make the chopping easier. This is also not essential as you can do it by hand)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup small red chili peppers, chopped some seeds removed, 110 g, 4 oz
- 1 cup garlic, chopped about 3 bulbs, 140 g, 5 oz
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons water you might it a bit more, up to 4 tablespoons more
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons rum white or gold
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or a mix of soy sauce and fish sauce
Instructions
- Blend the chili peppers and garlic. In a blender or a food processor, add the chopped red chili peppers and chopped garlic, and process to a fine paste. Alternatively, you can chop them very finely by hand, then mix in enough water to make a paste. Set the fine red chili and garlic paste aside.
- Heat vegetable oil. Add vegetable oil to a large saucepan, preferably cast-iron, and heat oil on medium to high heat.
- Cook paste. Once the oil is just hot, add the fine red chili and garlic paste. You know the oil is just hot when it begins shimmering. You do not want your oil to be too hot because the paste could burn. Cook until the ingredients smell slightly fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir a couple of times. Add the ¼ cup of water to the pan and continue cooking the paste until the water evaporates a little bit.
- Add the lemon juice, rum and soy sauce. When the water has evaporated a little bit, add the lemon juice and rum. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, just enough for the liquid and alcohol to evaporate and mix everything well and reduce heat to medium. Add in the soy sauce, and optional fish sauce if desired. Cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the soy sauce and/or lemon juice to your liking.
- Serve. Enjoy this delicious Homestyle red chili paste with any dish of your choice, especially Chinese and dumplings!
- Storage. To store, let the paste come to room temperature before transferring into a container. It keeps well in the fridge for several days and the flavor will develop over time. You can top it with some vegetable oil to make it last for a few weeks.
Notes
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Hello,
Can this work without rum? Or maybe with replace it for something else?
Thanks
Hi Maria, this will absolutely work without rum. You can use Japanese sake or whiskey instead, or omit it altogether. Please let me know how it works out for you.
The red chilli paste is unique and tasty.
Thank you very much. Enjoy it! 🙂