Trouble with Chili Paste

[Jewel]

I'm actually meal planning right now for when I'm ready to eat normal food again, and the stack of 'try' recipes is getting taller. One of the things I want to make is CL's Peanut Sauce, and it calls for Chili Paste with Garlic. I've seen this condiment several times in CL recipes, and the only thing I can find in my grocery is Heinz Chili Sauce in the ketchup section, and Thai Chili Sauce in the Ethnic section. Exactly what are they asking for? I'm stocking up on the necessary items so the day after this diet is over, it's 'Ready, Set, COOK!!' (Hubby is stocking up on Tums) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[HDgirl]

Jewel,

Funny you mentioned that...can't find it either. BTW, good luck to you.

[jazzyjas]

It is usually with the Chinese foods and sauces. Although I haven't seen it in the store in a while -- if you don't find it you can probably order it on the internet.

jas

[sneezles]

Jewel,
I would use the Thai chili sauce for this recipe. If you can ask your grocer to order for you I would suggest the Thai Kitchen brand. They make a variety of chili pastes and they come in a 4oz jar. Or visit their website at http://www.thaikitchen.com

The also have an 800#...1-800-967-THAI

[DanaSD]

You'll find the chile paste with garlic in the asian section of your grocery store or check out your local asian market for a fun shopping adventure (I love going there and trying out new ingredients and snacks). Chile paste is also called chile sauce. The ones labeled Chile paste with garlic have more garlic than the ones just labeled chile paste or sauce but both may have some garlic. The Thai sauce might be what you're looking for - check the ingredient list. Its usually just chile, garlic and vinegar or oil

The most common brand found in grocery stores (at least here on the west coast) is the one in a clear plastic bottle labeled in white writing Tuong Ot Toi Viet Nam by Huy Fong Foods. My favorite brand of chile sauce (without the garlic) is Hsin Tung Yang - I buy it at Ranch 99 Market, an asian grocery store chain.
http://www.99ranch.com/tawa_main/frmain.htm

[This message has been edited by DanaSD (edited 04-24-2001).]

[sneezles]

Well, I disagree with Dana about the paste and sauce being the same thing. The paste is aquite a bit thicker than the suace and therefore more concentrated in flavors. If you use the sauce you might try reducing the amount of lime juice so that the consistency of the peanut sauce is not too runny.

Chili paste has dried shrimp, tamarind, anchovy, and cane sugar in it as well.

[gertdog]

I've used the Thai Kitchen brand chile paste (brick red color, comes in a small glass jar, quite thick and must be scooped out of the jar) and a Vietnamese brand of chili-garlic sauce (clear plastic jar w/ white writing, as described above, with bright green lid, sauce is much thinner and bright red, with small bits of garlic and chile suspended in it).

I prefer the chili-garlic sauce as I find it to have more kick... a little goes a long way! If the recipe calls for chile paste with garlic, I'd use the chili-garlic sauce.

[This message has been edited by gertdog (edited 04-24-2001).]

[goldilocks]

i use 'sambal olek' chili paste which is actually featured in one of the articles in the may issue. i grew up on this and have been using it for years myself, so it was funny to actually see it in the pages of cooking light. this is a chinese condiment (as opposed to the thai chili paste) and you might be able to find it in your grocery. if not, a chinese market is sure to have it. i put it on anything that needs a pick me up. it is in a plastic jar with a green top. you need to scoop it out with a spoon. good luck.

[This message has been edited by goldilocks (edited 04-24-2001).]

[DanaSD]

Originally posted by sneezles:
Well, I disagree with Dana about the paste and sauce being the same thing. The paste is aquite a bit thicker than the suace and therefore more concentrated in flavors. If you use the sauce you might try reducing the amount of lime juice so that the consistency of the peanut sauce is not too runny.

Chili paste has dried shrimp, tamarind, anchovy, and cane sugar in it as well.


My chile sauce is actually thicker than my paste - both bought from an Asian Market. Chile sauce from a grocery store (ex Heinz) is much much thinner than the paste. I have 4 different bottles in my fridge all Asian - chile paste (2 brands), chile sauce and chile paste with garlic) - I noticed that some are mixed with vinegar and some with oil. Looks like there are even more variations out there since yours has shrimp, tamarind, anchovy, and cane sugar.

I love the stuff and I think any of the variations will work - find the one that tastes best to you. I have a bunch of cookbooks from the Hot series (Hot chicken, Hot wok etc) and many of the recipes call for Asain Chile Sauce.

The chile sauce in the clear plastic jar with green cap seems to have several different brands names on it - wonder if they're actually all made by the same compnay?? But I agree that there sauce is thinner then theri paste. The Hot series recommends the Rooster Brand Delicious Hot Garlic Sauce when they call for Asian Chile sauce in their recipes. They also mention that you can substitute fresh jalapenos or serrano chiles - you might want to add some liquid so that your sauce is the right consistancy.



[This message has been edited by DanaSD (edited 04-24-2001).]

[valeriek]

I had trouble finding this ingredient as well so I bought it from ethnicgrocer.com. I'm having trouble cooking with it though. It is almost TOO thick. I can't get it to dissolve in the sauce. It is just a hard, lumpy mass. I never thought of subsititing the sauce for paste. I think I need to think outside the box more!

[DanaSD]

Originally posted by valeriek:
I had trouble finding this ingredient as well so I bought it from ethnicgrocer.com. I'm having trouble cooking with it though. It is almost TOO thick. I can't get it to dissolve in the sauce. It is just a hard, lumpy mass. I never thought of subsititing the sauce for paste. I think I need to think outside the box more!


If your paste is too thick try adding some oil or rice wine vinegar since these are the main liquid ingredients of the pastes and sauces.