Sweet Chilli Sauce

Sweet Chilli Sauce: Step by Step

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1. Put the chillies, garlic and rice vinegar in a food processor and pulse to a coarse, speckled purée. Remove the seeds from half the chillies first if you want a milder sauce.

   Mark done

2. Pour the purée into a saucepan with the 150 ml water, the sugar and the salt. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly syrupy.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

3. Mix the cornflour with the 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the pan. Simmer for 1 minute more, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

4. Pour into a clean jar. The sauce thickens as it cools, so it will be sticky and glossy when it is cold.

   Mark done

What Can Go Wrong

1. Taste one chilli before you begin. Chillies vary a great deal, and the seeds carry most of the heat, so decide how many to keep.
2. Stop simmering while the sauce still looks a little runny. The sugar sets as it cools, and a sauce that looks thick in the pan turns to toffee in the jar.
3. Wear gloves to chop the chillies if you have sensitive skin, and wash your hands well before you touch your eyes.

If You're Missing Something

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the red chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

What to Serve It With

Spring rolls · Prawn crackers · Cream cheese and crackers

Keeping Sweet Chilli Sauce

Keeps in a clean, sealed jar in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Freezes for 3 months.

Common Questions

Sweet Chilli Sauce Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.