Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Hot chili paste (lot jiu jeung)


This flavorful hot chili paste goes hand in hand with fried Chinese dumplings, with any shrimp or pork dim sum dish, or on top of a bowl of noodles. Here's how I made this simple and delicious condiment:

  1. Over a medium flame, heat about 1/2 cup oil (I used corn).
  2. Add about 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and fry until a light golden brown.
  3. Reduce heat and add about 4 tablespoons of crushed, dried, hot pepper. Stir continuously and turn off flame when fragrant. This process is fairly quick. Watch carefully to be sure the pepper/garlic does not burn.
  4. Add salt to taste.
The type of pepper you use will determine the flavor and heat of your chili paste. My dried cayenne peppers yielded a chili paste that was so manageable that my kids could try just a touch of it. It was also so delicious that we were microwaving hot dogs just to have something to eat with it. Another batch made with my Thai peppers yielded a chili paste that was all heat - to the point of being just painful.

Click here to see how I dried my peppers. If you don't want to delve into this recipe and have some good dim sum restaurants around, try asking for "lot jiu jeung" - the phonetic spelling for "hot chili paste" in Cantonese. Enjoy!
Posted by Wendy at 9:06 PM
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14 comments:

  1. Hi Wendy~~ This looks like an interesting recipe and a good way to use those home-grown chilis. Yum.
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  2. I think none of the dim sum restaurants would have that 'lot jiu jeung' better than yours. You even dried your own peppers! All your ingredients are fresh... that means no preservative. The dried peppers that I buy from the groceries, I have to at least blanch them first before using to get rid of preservatives and other impurities. Btw, to dry the peppers, was the oven bake method or the string up to dry naturally better?
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  3. This one would be too hot for me, but it looks very delicious.
    I dry my peppers hanged on the balcony.
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  4. Wendy, how long will this keep in the fridge? Or is there a better way to store it? I have bought this, (commercially) and have added a touch to tomato soup to give it some zip, and to a tomato sauce for pasta. But I would love to make my own.
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  5. Wow, what a simple recipe. Who knew? Thanks for the tip.
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  6. Beautiful photo! Makes my eyes water to think of eating it - I can't do spicy - but props to you for using up some of your hot garden peppers!
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  7. When I was younger, I sort of liked the taste, so i'd just dip my food in a little bit of the hot oil.

    Stephanie - the string method did not work for me! Maybe my house is not dry enough, but the larger pepper rotted, and the cayenees from that original post that was i htink way back in August, are still not totally dried! I bet they're rotted inside...

    Deborah - sounds like a good idea to add the tomato soup. I bet you would like that sriracha sauce then - you know the vietnamese sauce that's blended smooth in the large bottle with green tip. I think that's the stuff. Equally yummy!! I should try making that!
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  8. I will pass. My tongue hurts just looking at those peppers. :)
    Oochee momma they look spicy!
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  9. It's dinner time and my mouth is watering! I LOVE anything spicy! Problem is~it doesn't like me! I make a similar chili recipe but I also add chopped lemon grass for its wonderful fragrance ;)
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  10. Hi again Wendy!
    I awarded you the honest scrap award on my blog, hope you can join in.
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  11. good blog
    greeting of spain
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  12. Hmmm, hot chili paste. I won't likely be making my own, but your picture is inspiring to go get a spicy meal at my nearby Thai restaurant.

    Your dad's chrysanthemums are incredible!
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  13. Dim sung can't be beat. I admire your making at home. I certainly can't do that.
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  14. We call this 'lat chill yau' or chilli oil. It is very popular at Hong Kong style restaurants that serves dim sum, chee cheong fun (rolled rice sheets) and wantan noodles. I think it goes very well with noodles. The best thing is that it can keep for quite a long time in the fridge. I wonder how it will taste if used on spaghetti.
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