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Schezwan Sauce is a uniquely flavorsome, delicious, hot and spicy sauce made with red chilies, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppers and soy sauce. This homemade sauce is a simple way to spice things up! Add it to noodles, fried rice or grilled chicken for the real zing! You can also serve it as a condiment with any snacks like pakoras, vadas, and sandwiches or just spread it over your toasted bread for a spicy hot treat. You can use it as a marinade for all your grilled dishes like kebabs, tandoori chicken, sizzlers etc.
Indian Chinese cuisine has brought many innovative, unique, mouth-watering and delicious foods that are immensely popular not only in India but also across the world. Foods flavoured with schezwan sauce are one of the most loved.
Dishes like Schezwan Fried Rice, Schezwan Noodles, schezwan paneer, Schezwan Chicken & a lot many are made using this sauce as the base. With unique citrus notes, schezwan sauce has a well-balanced taste of hot, pungent, tangy and mildy sweet flavors.
So this flavoursome sauce also goes well as a condiment with a lot of snacks and appetizers.
About Schezwan Sauce
Schezwan sauce is a popular Indo-Chinese condiment made with red chilies, garlic, soya sauce, vinegar and Sichuan peppers. Also known as Schezwan Chutney, it gets the name from the use of Sichuan peppers in the preparation of this sauce.
Sichuan peppers are a common spice used in the Sichuan cuisine, which is romanized as Szechwan cuisine. Hence the name schezwan sauce. Sichuan pepper is the key ingredient that imparts a great bold citrusy flavor to this hot and pungent sauce.
Contents hide
1 About Schezwan Sauce
2 How to Make Schezwan Sauce (Stepwise photos)
3 Faqs
4 Recipe Card
However if you do not have it you can still make this sauce with black pepper but you will surely miss the flavors of the Sichuan pepper.
Authentic foods from Sichuan cuisine are super-hot, spicy and pungent. Since this schezwan sauce is a fusion version created by the Chinese immigrants in India, it is toned down to suit the local palate.
This Recipe
This recipe will give you the best of what you can actually make! It is so much better than the store bought and is pure with no additives and MSG. Make a large batch of this and refrigerate for several months.
Enjoy with your tea time snacks like cutlets, spring rolls, fried chicken, popcorn chicken or even with pakoras.
Also making spicy fried rice or noodles is a breeze if you have this sauce in your fridge. You can also use it for shrimp, egg or chicken noodles or rice.
Schezwan sauce gets its flavor from ingredients like celery, schezwan pepper, ginger garlic and soya sauce. So use good quality freshest ingredients.
For more Indo Chinese Recipes, you can check
Schezwan paneer
Mushroom manchurian
Veg manchurian
Chicken noodles
How to Make Schezwan Sauce (Stepwise photos)
Preparation
1. Add red chilies to a bowl. I deseed the chilies and use as it reduces the heat. I have used 1 cup red chilies (tightly packed), about 25 to 28.
2. Pour hot water and soak them for 30 mins.
3. They turn soft after soaking.
4. Add them to a blender jar. If needed add 2 tbsps water.
5. Make a fine paste.
Temper
6. Heat oil in a pan. I have used 4 tbsps i.e 1/4 cup oil. Do not reduce it otherwise the sauce doesn’t taste good.
7. Add ginger, garlic and crushed sichuan peppers. If you do not have sichuan peppers, you can skip. But they add a unique citrus aroma to the schezwan sauce. Saute for 2 mins.
8. If using celery, add it now. Add finely chopped onions as well and then saute till they turn transparent. Do not brown the ginger garlic.
9. Add the chili paste.
10. Saute for 2 to 3 mins.
11. Pour half cup water.
12. Add sugar, salt and pepper as well.
Cook Schezwan Sauce
13. Mix well. Cook covered on a medium flame again till the sauce turns thick.
14. Cook further till oil separates. You can see traces of oil around the sides.
15. Next stir in the soya sauce. I have used organic soya sauce. You may need to adjust the quantity if using any other kind.
16. Add vinegar. I used apple cider vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar.
17. Finally mix well and cook just for 2 mins.
Cool the sauce completely. Store it in a glass jar. Keep refrigerated for better shelf life. Keeps good for about 2 months.
Faqs
Does schezwan sauce contain ajinomoto or msg?
My homemade version of schezwan sauce does not contain ajinomoto or msg. But yes most store bought bottled schezwan sauce contain ajinomoto. You may check the label before you purchase one.
How to tone down the heat in schezwan sauce?
This schezwan sauce is moderately hot. To tone down the heat further, simply add more soya sauce, vinegar, tomato sauce/ketchup and sugar. As most of the flavor and body for this sauce comes from the red chilies, it is recommended not to reduce them. Instead look for low heat chilies, deseed and discard the soaked water.
How long does schezwan sauce last?
Schezwan sauce keeps good for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. Vinegar used in the preparation acts as a preservative. Cool down completely and store in a dry, glass air tight container. Use dry spoons to scoop out when needed.
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Recipe Card
Schezwan Sauce Recipe
Schezwan sauce is a flavorful, spicy and hot condiment that is used as a dip. It can also be used to make fried rice, noodles, appetizers & snacks. It is moderately hot, slightly sweet & sour.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Prep Time30 minutes minutes
Cook Time15 minutes minutes
Total Time45 minutes minutes
Servings180 ML
AuthorSwasthi
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 25 to 28 dried red chilies 1 cup (less spicy variety like Kashmiri or byadgi)
- 1 cup hot water to soak chilies
- ¼ cup oil (preferably sesame oil)
- 2 tbsps garlic chopped finely
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped finely
- 8 to 10 sichuan peppercorn crushed or ground (optional)
- 3 tbsps onions chopped very finely – 1 small
- ½ cup water for sauce
- 1 to 1 ½ tbsp sugar (more if desired)
- ¾ to 1 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp sea salt)
- ¾ to 1 tbsp soya sauce prefer naturally brewed soy sauce
- ¾ to 1 tbsp vinegar (rice or apple cider)
- ¼ tsp pepper powder
Optional
- ¼ cup chopped celery (optional)
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup
Instructions
Preparation
Add the red chilies to a bowl and soak them in hot water for 30 mins.
To reduce the heat you can deseed and use them.
Meanwhile chop onions, ginger and garlic.
After 30 mins, add the red chilies to a blender jar.
Make a fine paste. If needed you can add 1 to 2 tbsp water. Set this aside.
How to Make Schezwan Sauce
Heat oil in a pan.Saute garlic, ginger and sichuan pepper for 2 mins. If using celery, add it now.
Add onions and fry until they turn transparent. Do not brown the ginger garlic as they may lend a bitter taste.
Stir in the chili paste, sugar, salt and pepper powder. Saute for 2 mins.Pour half cup water and mix well.
Cover and cook on a medium heat till the sauce turns thick.
Open the lid and cook further stirring often until oil begins to separate.
When you see the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan, add soya sauce and vinegar.The sauce must taste hot with hints of sour and sweetness.
Optional – If using tomato sauce add it now.
Mix well and cook just for 1 to 2 mins. Taste it and add more salt or vinegar if needed.
Cool schezwan sauce completely and store it in a glass jar. Refrigerate for better shelf life.
How to use
The prepared sauce can be enjoyed as a side dip with snacks. It can be used to make noodles, fried rice or schezwan snacks.
To make fried rice or noodles, heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Fry onions and bell peppers on a high flame. Then add the rice or noodles and sauce as desired. Mix and fry on a high flame for 2 mins.
Notes
- Use less spicy variety chilies. I have used byadgi chilies but kashmiri chilies can also be used.
- Sichuan peppers lends a unique citrus flavor to the sauce. There is no substitute to this. If you do not have, just skip it.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
Nutrition Facts
Schezwan Sauce Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 179Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 258mg11%
Potassium 35mg1%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Vitamin A 60IU1%
Vitamin C 2.4mg3%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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© Swasthi’s Recipes
Recipe from Archives. First published in January 2018. Updated and republished in June 2021.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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