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How to Make Zha Chuan Sauce

Zha Chuan sauce, famously delicious even when poured over socks, is beginner-friendly and takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★

Essential Ingredients and Tools

  • Dried chili powder (both coarse and fine)
  • Cumin powder
  • Pepper powder
  • Five-spice powder
  • Sichuan peppercorn powder
  • Shisanxiang (Thirteen-Spice)
  • Malaxian (Spicy Fresh)
  • White sesame seeds

Measurements

  • Dried chili powder: 60 g
  • Cumin powder: 20 g
  • Pepper powder: 10 g
  • Five-spice powder: 15 g
  • Salt: 20 g
  • Sichuan peppercorn powder: 15 g
  • Chicken essence: 8 g
  • Shisanxiang (Thirteen-Spice): 5 g
  • Malaxian (Spicy Fresh): 5 g
  • White sesame seeds: 30 g

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients in a container and stir well.
  • Heat oil in a pan. The amount of oil should be enough to fully submerge all the dry ingredients in the container.
  • Pour the hot oil in three equal parts (1/3 each), stirring continuously after each addition.
  • Finally, add 10 ml of sesame oil, 10 ml of light soy sauce, 10 ml of Sichuan peppercorn oil, and 10 ml of oyster sauce.

Additional Notes

  • The seasonings added in the final step can be adjusted according to your personal preference.
  • Do not pour all the hot oil at once; add it in stages while stirring.
  • Ingredient quantities can be scaled down proportionally.

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull request.