You’ve probably been cooking at home a lot in 2020, so in 2021, why not take it to the next level and make things that you normally buy? Homemade sauces are a great start as they tend to be simple and quick.
There are two popular sauces in Thai cuisine that people often buy, but they’re actually very easy to make: Thai sweet chili sauce and sriracha. Making them means you can customize the flavour to your taste, and they keep in your fridge indefinitely. They also make great gifts!
Thai sweet chili sauce
This sweet and sour sauce is our go-to dip for all things crispy and also grilled chicken. Yes, you can find it just about anywhere, but I cannot tell you how much more flavourful the homemade version is, and it uses only a few basic ingredients.
The key is to not over-blend it so there are still texture and visible seeds showcasing the chilies. I start with some chilies, garlic and a bit of water in the blender, then use the pulse function for a few seconds at a time to get a rough paste. Cook this paste with vinegar, sugar, and salt for 5 minutes, then thicken with just a little cornstarch. It really is that simple!
Check out the full recipe here
Siracha
This popular hot sauce is much simpler to make than you might think. Vietnamese-style sriracha requires fermenting chilies, but the Thai version is just a blitz and a simmer, and you can customize the spiciness to your taste. Once you have it, you will want to put it on everything!
The key to sriracha is a silky-smooth consistency, so having a powerful blender makes the process go much quicker since you won’t need to strain the sauce at the end.
The trickiest part might be choosing the right kind of red chilies that will give you your desired level of heat. For more control I like to go with something mild as the “bulk” of the sauce, then add Thai chilies as a way to adjust spiciness.
Check out my recipe for easy Thai sriracha here.