Chilli oil has become a trending, cult‐favorite condiment in recent years—especially since the lockdowns.
This article highlights five Indian small‐batch/chilli‐oil makers who are using local chillies, peppercorns, and creative flavour combinations to elevate our home cooking.
Chilli oil has become the post-pandemic-era culinary star, and Indian homegrown producers are now giving it a local twist. From Naagin Pantry Essentials’ versatile crispy chilli oil to Pataakha’s aromatic Tadka Chilli Oil, these small-batch creations use Indian chillies, sautéed garlic, onions, and roasted spices to elevate everyday dishes.
If you think chilli oil is on everything, everywhere, all at once, all of a sudden, you are not alone. The spicy, crunchy, punchy Asian condiment was the undisputed sleeper hit of the lockdown era. With chefs and restaurateurs creating their own versions of this mildly spicy, umami-packed condiment, and the internet flooding with many, many recipes that all claim to produce the perfect chilli oil, this once-hidden-gem of Asian condiments has inspired a cult following in the culinary world, seemingly overnight.
Whether you're a newbie looking for a quick and easy way to add that je-ne-sais-quoi kick to your cooking or a seasoned home-cook searching for that perfect balance of crunch and punch, these five homegrown small-batch producers are crafting next-level chilli oils using Indian chillies, peppercorns, and select secret ingredients. From an Indian Tadka-inspired take on the classic chilli oil to a crispy chilli oil made with the mouth-numbing Timur or Indian Sichuan peppercorn cultivated in Meghalaya, elevate your home-cooking with these five homegrown chilli oils:
Naagin Pantry Essential Crispy Chilli Oil is a savoury and mildly spicy take on the chilli oil that pairs well with Indian, Italian, Chinese and many other cuisines. Designed to be versatile, it uses a special blend of perfectly slow-roasted Guntur chillies, and sautéed garlic and onions. A generous drizzle of this Crispy Chilli Oil adds both 'punch' and 'crunch' to your plate.
A toasted medley of red chillies with crunchy bits of garlic, onion, and aromatic roasted spices, all immersed in cold-pressed oil, Pataakha's Tadka Chilli Oil is a must-have pantry essential. You can use it to cook, drizzle, as well as dip. The mild roasted spiciness pairs well with Indo-Chinese dishes, stir fries, pizzas, momos and dimsums, daal-chawal, as well as instant noodles.
A tribute to the soul-stirring flavours of Guangdong, Small Batch Co.'s crispy chilli oil is infused with golden-yellow bean sauce. The slow-roasted garlic and onion bits give the chilli oil an exceptional crunch, and the bean sauce gives it just the right umami-packed punch. Pair it with dimsums, dumplings, stir fries, fried eggs, and noodles, or drizzle it over pizzas to add some quirkiness.
Ramano's Classic Chilli Oil is made with 5 distinctive, hand-picked homegrown chillies including Sichuan peppercorn and select secret ingredients to add balanced savour and spice to your plate. Blended with sesame seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves, and select secret ingredients, the makers recommend using this chilli oil as a versatile condiment, dip, marinade or garnish.
Boombay's Five Chilli Oil has five different types of chillies, sourced from different parts of India, making it an exceptionally flavourful chilli oil! Add it to your pizzas, stir fries, or even your favourite daal to add some kick to your plate.
The Timur Chilli Crisp uses Timur, the Indian Sichuan peppercorn, grown in the mountains of north-eastern Himalayas for a spicy, tongue numbing kick that's unlike any chilli oil you've tasted before! This is the perfect condiment to elevate your Asian cooking.
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