A balance of flavors in a sauce. Sweet, tangy, salty, some heat, pungent and umami — this is what you can expect of your homemade Thai style chili sauce.
Discard the stem of the chilies and place into a mixer or mortar with pestle.
2-5 Red Chili Peppers
Add the garlic and ginger and if you blend it, add the water as well. If you want to use the mortar with pestle, then smash the ingredients first and then mix with the water. The consistency should be chunky, and you should have some chili pieces in it.
3-4 Garlic Cloves, 1 Inch Ginger Fresh, ⅔ Cup Water
Place a saucepan over the heat and pour in the chili water mixture with the brown sugar, rice vinegar, and fish sauce.
1 Cup Brown Sugar, ⅔ Cup Rice Vinegar, 1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
Over a medium to high heat setting, mix the whole content well with a whisk and bring to a rolling boil. When you cook the sauce, keep your eyes and face away from it because the vinegar and chili are pungent.
Mix the cornstarch with the lukewarm water into a slurry.
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch, 1-2 Tablespoon Lukewarm Water
Take the hot pan from the heat and mix the cornstarch mixture into the pan with the sauce.
Let the sweet chili sauce cool, and then add the lime juice and mix well in.
⅛ Cup Lime Juice
Store the sauce in a clean, sterilized sauce bottle or jar.
The sauce gains on flavor and character in the jar over time. I let it sit for a few days before I start using it. Always store in a cool and dry place such as the fridge for up to a few months without a problem.
Video
Notes
Red Thai bird's eye chilies are hot chilies. Use as little or as many as you like to add heat to your chili lime sauce.
Use brown sugar to add depth, or palm sugar. Regular sugar will make the sauce more bright.
Increase the amount of cornstarch by ½ or 1 tbs to make the sauce thicker, or keep out the cornstarch completely if you want a very thin stir-fry chili sauce.