Asian Chilli Dipping Sauce Recipe

This Asian Chilli Dipping Sauce recipe is my new favourite go-to sauce for serving with just about everything. Chilli, ginger, garlic and lime with a hint of fish sauce – perfect for dumplings or serve with cucumbers, celery, carrots and even corn chips.

I have become quite a convert to chilli since growing it in my garden. This way you have a bit more choice over the heat of chilli that you prefer – I don’t like them too hot. I made many bottles of Sweet Chilli Sauce and still had plenty more, thankfully they freeze well.

1 head garlic, cloves peeled
6-8 long red chillies, roughly chopped
3 thumb-sized pieces fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves
2½ cups sugar
½ cup water
finely grated zest of 4 limes
½ cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce

Purée the garlic, chillies, ginger and kaffir lime leaves to a coarse paste. Place in a saucepan with the sugar, water, lime zest, rice vinegar, fish sauce and soy sauce.

Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil for about 10 minutes until reduced by a third.

Spoon the chilli sauce into hot sterilised jars, and seal. Once opened, store in the fridge. It will keep for months.