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Indian · Chinese

Indo-Chinese schezwan sauce

Vegetarian

Soaked dried red chillies ground and fried with plenty of garlic and ginger, then seasoned with soy, vinegar and sugar into a fiery red, garlicky sauce. An Indian-Chinese restaurant staple for fried rice, noodles and momos.

Indo-Chinese schezwan sauce is an Indian sauce, ready in about 1 hour and made with dried whole chillies and garlic. It serves 16 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h
Serves
16
Level
Easy
Calories
56

Ingredients

16 servings (about 1 tbsp)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pour the boiling water over the chillies and soak for 30 minutes until soft. Drain, keeping a few tablespoons of the water, and blend to a smooth paste, adding just enough soaking water to move the blades.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) and fry the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and spring-onion whites over medium heat until fragrant and just turning golden.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the chilli paste and fry, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and the oil begins to separate at the edges.

    • 7 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Frying chilli paste spits and releases fumes; stand back and ventilate the kitchen.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the soy sauce (opens in a new tab), vinegar, sugar (opens in a new tab), salt and ketchup (opens in a new tab) (and Sichuan pepper, if using) and simmer for 3–4 minutes until glossy. Cool and pour into a clean jar, topped with a thin layer of oil.

About this dish

Origin
Indo-Chinese cooking (Mumbai and Kolkata), India · Commonly attributedDespite the name, this sauce is an Indian-Chinese creation and differs from the cooking of Sichuan province in China.Also popular in NepalMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Sauces · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Blended, Sautéed, Simmered
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, umami, tangy
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Street food
Cook more with
Dried whole chillies · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Spring onion · Soy sauce · White vinegar
Techniques
Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • May contain: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup
  • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

56 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 20 g · recipe makes 16

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 4%
  • Carbohydrate 22%
  • Fat 74%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy56 kcal281 kcal
Protein0.6 g3.1 g
Carbohydrate3.2 g15.8 g
Net carbohydrate2.5 g12.4 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0.5 g2.6 g
Fibre0.7 g3.4 g
Fat4.8 g24.2 g
Saturated fat0.4 g1.8 g
Trans fat0 g0.1 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium134 mg668 mg
Salt equivalent0.3 g1.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
86 mg
Calcium
10 mg
Iron
0.4 mg
Magnesium
5 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
26 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
3 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: tomato ketchup, sichuan peppercorns.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Deseed half the chillies if you want the colour without overwhelming heat.

Common mistakes

  • Taking it off the heat before the oil separates — the raw chilli taste and water left in will make it spoil quickly.

Serve with

  • Stir into schezwan fried rice or hakka noodles, use as a dip for momos and spring rolls, or spread in a schezwan dosa or sandwich.

Food safety

  • Contains garlic in oil; keep it refrigerated and use a clean spoon.
  • Store in a scrupulously clean, completely dry jar (sterilise it in boiling water or a low oven and let it dry fully), and always use a dry spoon; moisture is what spoils chutneys and pickles.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in a clean jar under a layer of oil for up to 2 weeks.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Garlic, finely chopped12 clove · 48 g
Used in step 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

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