Many people associate Sriracha with Vietnamese food because the hot sauce is present at many Viet restaurants. Truth be told, Sriracha is of Thai origin and the hot sauce enjoyed in Vietnam is called -- t??ng ?t (chile sauce) and...
Many people associate Sriracha with Vietnamese food because the hot sauce is present at many Viet restaurants. Truth be told, Sriracha is of Thai origin and the hot sauce enjoyed in Vietnam is called -- t??ng ?t (chile sauce) and it's friendly spicy. You can buy it easily in Vietnam and I used to cart some back with me on visits to the Motherland. However, you can also make it easily.
Today, I'm sharing with you my easy recipe for Vietnamese hot sauce, which was published in my latest cookbook, Ever-Green Vietnamese, which spotlights tasty, creative ways to use vegetables in the Vietnamese kitchen. The t??ng ?t Viet chile sauce can be made with ingredients at your regular supermarket and farmer's market. It's preservative free and you can dial in the heat level as you wish. For people who don't like too much fire, you can tone things down. You can even blend chiles too. Gift your creation to lucky family and friends!
Blending Chiles for a Signature Sauce
Below are ripe red jalapeño, Fresno, Aleppo and cayenne. I used them in equal proportions in a big batch. The result was fruit and moderate in heat -- enough for my niece to say, "I don't like hot sauce but I like this one!" Chiles ripen in late summer into late autumn so look around. Of course, shop at Asian and Latin markets and others for a wealth of flavors to choose from.
Xanthan Gum: What is it?
In the recipe below, xanthan gum is optional. It sounds scary but it's a plant-based thickening agent found in many foods, including sauces like gravies and salad dressings. That is why I use it for Viet hot sauce and the vegan mayonnaise recipe in Ever-Green Vietnamese.
Xanthan is popularly used these days for gluten-free baking. If you're concerned, here's a good xanthan gum explainer from Bob's Red Mill, which sells xanthan too. I buy xanthan gum from the bulk area at my natural (hippie) food store. What if you want to use guar gum instead of xanthan gum? You may need to use a little more. This chile sauce has vinegar and the acidity may impact the effectiveness of guar gum, according to these insights.
Viet Chile Sauce Video Tips
To demonstrate how easy it is to make Vietnamese hot sauce, here's a how-to video. Remember to select "stay" when prompted.
Choosing chiles and controlling heat
Color: Select red peppers for a cheery look. When unavailable use green jalapeños for a sienna (brown) colored hot sauce. It will taste good but more vegetal and grassy than fruity. If the chiles are extra-hot, omit about one-fourth of the fleshy, whitish pith and any attached seeds when chopping.
Viet Chile Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
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