Chili Crisp (Lao Gan Ma)

Name: Chili Crisp (Lao Gan Ma)
Yield: Serves 24 (makes about 1½ cups)
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Ingredients: 1/2 cup, Sichuan chili powder; 1/2 cup, salted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped; 2 tablespoons, Sichuan peppercorns, crushed; 1 1/2 teaspoons, kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon, monosodium glutamate (optional); 1 cup, vegetable oil; 2 , large shallots, sliced thin; 4 , large garlic cloves, sliced thin; 1 (1-inch) piece, ginger, unpeeled, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds and smashed; 3 , star anise pods; 10 , green cardamom pods, crushed; 2 , cinnamon sticks; 2 tablespoons, toasted sesame oil

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By Andrew Janjigian

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2020

This spicy, crunchy condiment is packed with chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, fried shallots, peanuts, and spices.

SERVES24 (makes about 1½ cups)

TIME1 hour, plus 12 hours resting

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Chili crisp, aka Lao Gan Ma, or “Godmother Sauce,” is a spicy Chinese condiment that is used as a dipping sauce for dumplings or as a sauce for noodles, rice, or stir-fried greens. For our version we started by frying shallots and garlic un...

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