Hot sauce is a popular, spicy sauce with a fan following of its own. As the name suggests, it is made from fresh red chilies. It is a staple sauce in many households, and is used to add spiciness to foods like noodles, pasta, ramen, etc. Hot sauce is much loved by people who enjoy eating spicy food as it adds a spice kick and levels up the taste of any bland dish. There are a variety of hot sauces available in the market these days, but they can't beat the taste of a freshly-made homemade hot sauce. The best part of making it at home is that you can choose the level of heat in the sauce as per your liking. If you want to prepare this zesty sauce at home from scratch, all you have to do is follow these simple tips and tricks.
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Here Are 7 Simple Tips To Prepare Hot Sauce:
1. Choose The Right Peppers
This is the most important step in making hot sauce. The sauce's main ingredient is chillies, so choosing which chilies to use is vital. Depending on your preference, you can choose chillies ranging from mild to super-hot. Habaneros, serranos, ghost peppers, and jalapenos are a few options of chillies you can choose from. The heat of the sauce will depend on the type and quantity of peppers you use.
Use chilies that are more spicy. Photo Credit: istock
2. Roast The Peppers
The next step is to roast the peppers. Roasting peppers will add a smoky flavour to the hot sauce. You can roast peppers by simply placing them on a baking sheet and heating them for a few minutes. Once they get charred on all sides, take them out. Remove the stems and keep them aside to cool down. You can roast them on a gas stove too.
3. Add More Flavours
To make the hot sauce tasty, you can add five to six big pods of garlic. Besides this, you can also use spices like black pepper and salt to make the sauce flavoursome. Black pepper is spicy but does not have the same level of spiciness as the red chilies. Adding it with chilies will increase the heat and flavour of the sauce.
Garlic is rich in antioxidants. Photo Credit: pixabay
4. Blend It Well
We all know sauces have a smooth texture. Nobody wants big chunks of chillies and garlic in their sauce, so make sure to follow this step. In a blender, add chilies and garlic, mixed with seasoning. Blend it till it forms a smooth sauce. You might have to do this two to three times to get the perfect consistency.
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5. Make It Thinner
If you feel the sauce is thick and you want a runny consistency, you can easily do it by straining the mixture in a sieve. It will help in separating the pulp and juice. You can further use the juice to make the sauce. This step is totally optional.
6. Add Sweetness
Many people are fond of sweet and spicy sauces. If you want to add mild sweetness to it, all you have to do is add sugar to the sauce that you have prepared. Mix it well, till the sugar dilutes in the mixture. Make sure you don't add too much sugar as it will ruin the essence of hot sauce.
Use thin granulated sugar in the sauce. Photo Credit: unsplash
7. Keep It For Fermentation
One of the traditional ways of making a hot sauce involves fermenting it. This adds a tangy flavour and aroma to the sauce. To ferment it, pour the hot sauce into a glass container. Add some water and vinegar to it and mix it well. Now, cover the jar with a muslin cloth and put the lid on. Let it ferment for 6 to 7 days. Your hot sauce will be ready once it's nicely fermented.
Tip: Wear disposable gloves to handle chilies. Chilies are hot and can cause a burning sensation in your hands if touched directly.