Chilli

The Origin Of Chili Bean Paste

Chilli Bean Paste is a paste made from broad beans. It is also called Toban Djan and/or doubanjiang. “Fava beans” is what some people call the beans used to make Chilli Bean Paste. It was made by Chinese people who had to leave quickly and took cooked beans and chilli peppers with them, only to find out later that they had turned into a fermented food.

This history isn’t tied to a specific period, but it would have happened after the sixteenth century when chilli peppers were brought to China. Chilli Bean Paste is a big part of Sichuan food, made from broad fermented beans. They are called Sichuan beans in some parts of China. Beans are thought to have come from the Mediterranean, but there is evidence that people in Central Asia ate them as early as 3000 BCE.

Source: google.com

What is Chilli Bean Paste?

Chilli bean paste is a spicy sauce made from fermented soybeans and chillies. This condiment can be used as a dipping sauce or as an ingredient in stir-fries, soups, and stews.

Chilli bean paste tastes sweet and sour and has a spicy kick. It has been used for hundreds of years in China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, and Indonesia, among other places.

Here Are Five Pointers That Will Help You Make The Best Homemade Chilli Bean Paste

This dish is a standard in the cuisine of many Asian households. It is flexible enough to be utilised in preparing a wide variety of foods, including soups, curries, and stir-fries.

1. Place the dried red chilli peppers in a basin and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for ten minutes until the peppers have become more supple.

2. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and Garlic before adding the Ginger, Garlic, and Ginger.

3. Transfer this mixture to a blender or a food processor and mix it until it is completely smooth. If you don’t have a hand blender, you can also use a potato masher to accomplish this.

4. Place the paste in a container, such as a bowl or a jar, and let it chill in the refrigerator for a full day before using it.

Health Benefits Of Chilli Bean Paste

If you eat Chilli Bean Paste, it may help you avoid or deal with specific health problems. Some of these health problems are:

Cancer: The capsaicin in chilli peppers and the isoflavones in broad fermented beans in Chilli Bean Paste are thought to help fight cancer.
Poor gut health: Chilli bean paste, like many fermented foods, can be good for gut flora and health.

Some compounds in chilli bean paste can be good for your health, such as:

Protein: Despite the small serving size, Chilli Bean Paste can give you a lot of protein.
Isoflavones: Like soybeans, the broad beans in Chilli Bean Paste are full of isoflavones, which have antioxidant properties and can help treat several serious diseases.

Health Concerns

Chilli Bean Paste has a lot of sodium in each serving, leading to serious health problems. One of the main health problems from overeating salt is high blood pressure, which is a significant cause of heart disease, strokes, and dementia. Too much salt can make it hard to sleep and make you more likely to get stomach cancer.

3 Simple Chilli Bean Paste Alternatives

Want to try something different than Sichuan Chilli Bean Sauce or Chilli Bean Paste? Quit searching! Here are three things we like to use instead of chilli bean paste.

1. Sriracha + Miso Paste

Based on our Tabasco idea, adding sriracha and miso paste to chilli bean paste brings the heat and beans together. Start by mixing 50/50 miso and Sriracha, but be ready to use less, depending on how much heat you can handle.

2. Miso paste and Tabasco sauce

Miso is a Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans that adds complex flavours. But it doesn’t have any of the spicy heat of chilli bean sauce.

Adding a splash of Tabasco or another hot sauce gives it both the heat and the vinegary acidity from chilli bean sauce.

Use one teaspoon of miso paste mixed with five drops of Tabasco instead of one teaspoon of chilli bean sauce (or other hot sauce).

3. Sriracha

The main ingredient in this Thai hot sauce is also chilli. So it will give your dish the same kind of kick and hint of sweetness.

Most Recommended Recipes for Chilli Bean Paste

Stir-fries are one of the most common ways to use Chilli Bean Paste. Whether stir-frying vegetables, meats like chicken or beef, or even rice, it helps add a spicy and aromatic flavour that will make your mouth water.

Chilli Bean Paste Pork Noodles

This Taiwanese noodle dish has a lot of flavours and a bit of spice. Because the noodles soak up the sauce’s flavour, they go well with the meat sauce. Adding more sweet bean paste instead of chilli paste will make it less spicy.

Ingredients

16 ounces Shanghai white noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 tablespoon chilli bean paste
3 tablespoons sweet bean paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices of Ginger
4 tablespoons minced Garlic
1 pound of ground pork
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 scallion chopped

Instructions

Ginger and minced Garlic are added to a pan with olive oil on medium-high heat. Stir-fry the ground pork with the Shaoxing rice wine until it is fully cooked.
Add chilli soy bean paste, sweet bean paste, soy sauce, water, sugar, and sweet bean paste. Mix until everything is well coated, then turn down the heat and let it simmer.
Follow the directions on the package to make Shanghai noodles. Drain the noodles, rinse them with cold water, drizzle them with sesame oil to keep them from sticking together, and then put them in separate bowls.
Back to the pork mix: Mix 1/2 tablespoon of cold water with cornstarch, then add it to the pork mixture. The sauce should get a little thicker. Add chopped green onions. Serve the noodles with the meat sauce on top. Serve with julienned cucumbers or blanched vegetables like bok choy to add a vegetable to the dish. When you eat noodles, you should mix the sauce into them.

Sichuan-Style Braised Aubergine

Stir-frying Aubergine until it’s soft and smoky, then braising it with pickled chiles, fermented chilli-bean paste, black vinegar, scallions, Ginger, and Garlic.

Ingredients

1/4 cup celery (minced)
1 tsp. prepared horseradish (or grated)
1/4 lb. ground pork
2 green onions (thinly sliced on the diagonal)
1 Tbsp. chilli bean paste
1 Tbsp. black vinegar
1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. sesame oil (Asian)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. Cornstarch
1 1/2 lb. Asian aubergine
1 Tbsp. salt
3 Tbsp. canola oil (plus more as needed)
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 Tbsp. fresh Ginger (peeled and minced)

Instructions:

Cut each aubergine on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces, one at a time. Put the pieces of aubergine in a big bowl. Cover with cold water, and then stir in the salt. Put a plate on top of the aubergine pieces to keep them underwater. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
In a wok or large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over high heat until it is boiling. Add enough aubergine in two batches to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer—Stir-fry for 7 to 10 minutes or until crisp and brown on all sides. Move to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the rest of the aubergine and, if necessary, add more oil. Don’t wash the pan. Set it aside.
Stir the stock, chilli bean paste, vinegar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch together in a bowl to make the sauce. Set aside.
Put the pan back on high heat and add the last tablespoon of oil. Stir in the Garlic, Ginger, celery, and horseradish, and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in the pork and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until the meat turns opaque.
Put in the sauce and heat until it boils. Stir in the aubergine, turn the heat down to low, cover, and braise for 7 to 10 minutes or until the aubergine is just soft. Remove the lid and let the sauce cook for a few more minutes until it thickens.
Place the aubergine in a bowl that has been heated, and top it with the green onions. Serve right away.

Mapo Tofu

This recipe sounded too interesting not to try. This time, Sichuan Peppercorns are the new spice that’s coming out. Even though it doesn’t seem to be a peppercorn, its taste can only be described as “tingly.” Yes, it does.

When the spicy chilli, crispy pork, and smooth tofu are all put together, this dish is a beautiful mix of textures and tastes. Also, it’s quick. We’ll try to always have some ground pork in the freezer and some silken tofu in the fridge because this is the perfect “I don’t want to cook for hours” meal.

Ingredients

2 tsp. light soy sauce
salt (to taste)
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbsp. cold water
1 block soft tofu (about 1 pound, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes)
3 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. chilli bean paste
1 Tbsp. fermented black beans
2 tsp. ground Sichuan pepper
6 oz. ground pork
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 leeks (thinly sliced at an angle, or a handful of scallions can be substituted)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tsp. white sugar

Instructions

On high heat, heat peanut oil in a wok. Stir-fry the pork until it gets crispy and starts to brown but is not yet dry. Turn the heat down to medium, add the Garlic and leeks, and stir-fry until the food smells good. Stir-fry the chilli bean paste, black beans, and ground Sichuan pepper for about a minute until the oil turns a deep red colour.
Pour the stock in and give it a good stir. Mix in the drained tofu by gently pushing the back of your spoon or wok scoop from the edges to the centre of the wok or pan. Don’t stir, or the tofu may break up. Sugar, soy sauce, and salt can be added to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavours of the sauce soak into the tofu. Then, add the cornstarch mixture in two or three parts, mixing well between each addition until the sauce is thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon. (Don’t add more than you need).
Serve in a deep plate or wide bowl while it’s still hot. Add scallions or crushed Sichuan peppercorns if you want.

Roasted Vegetable Spicy Miso Ramen with Shiitake Mushrooms

Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and baby bok choy have been roasted and served with spicy miso ramen. This spicy miso ramen with roasted vegetables and shiitake mushrooms is delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients

For Roasted Vegetables

4 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
1 ½ cups chopped cauliflower florets (about half a head of cauliflower)
6-7 large brussels sprouts
4 baby bok choy, sliced in half

For Spicy Miso Ramen with Shiitake Mushrooms

4 cups vegetable broth/water/chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
2 servings of ramen, seasoning packets discarded
2-3 shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 slice of Ginger, about the size of a tablespoon
1 teaspoon chilli bean paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
3 tablespoons miso
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sake

Instructions

For Roasted Vegetables

First, preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the surface with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Set aside for now.
Prepare your vegetables and place them in a medium to large-sized bowl. Drizzle olive oil, add minced Garlic, and sprinkle salt over the vegetables. Toss until the vegetables are evenly coated with the olive oil and minced Garlic.
Place the vegetables onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower first since they take longer to soften than the baby bok choy. After roasting them for about 6-7 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the baby bok choy on the baking sheet. Roast them for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are tender to your liking.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and set them aside for now.

For Spicy Miso Ramen with Shiitake Mushrooms

In a medium-sized pot, add sesame oil over medium heat. Allow the sesame oil to heat for a minute before adding the minced Garlic and Ginger. Cook the Garlic and Ginger for a few minutes until they’ve become aromatic. Make sure the Garlic doesn’t become burnt because burnt Garlic means bitterness.
Add the chilli bean sauce, miso paste, granulated sugar, sake, broth, and salt. Allow the soup to simmer for several minutes.
Once the soup comes to a boil, add the ramen and the sliced shiitake mushrooms. Cook the ramen until it’s soft to your liking.
Divide the ramen, shiitake mushrooms, and soup into two bowls. Top each of the bowls with the roasted vegetables.
Serve the ramen warm. Add a pinch of salt to taste if it’s not seasoned enough.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Red Braised Beef is used to make beef noodle soup in Taiwan. You can eat the beef with rice and vegetables that you make. Then, for the second meal, make Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup by cooking some noodles and adding vegetables to the soup.

Ingredients

For Red Braised Beef

1 large tomato chopped or a cup of cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp Rice Wine
2 Star Anise
1 lb Beef Shank, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 cloves of Garlic, smashed
5 tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar
Salt, as desired
1/2 inch of Ginger, thinly sliced
2-3 Scallions, cut into 2-inch length
2 tbsp Chilli Bean Paste (Dou Ban Jiang)

Noodle Soup

Cilantro, chopped
Red chilli oil or sauce, as desired
Pickled green mustard
2 cups Greens of choice
Beef or bone broth, as needed to dilute soup
Optional Garnish:
Scallion, chopped
12 oz of noodles of choice
4 eggs

Instructions

The first thing we’ll do is boil the beef slices. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and then add the beef to the water. As soon as it looks primarily brown on the outside, take it out of the water. Turn the heat off.
Now, put Ginger, scallions, and Garlic in a wok or cooking pan and heat it over medium-high heat for about a minute.
Add the chilli bean paste and heat for one more minute.
Put the pieces of beef blanched into the wok or pan. After about 5 minutes of stirring, add the tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice wine—Cook for 2 more minutes.
Put the mixture into a medium-sized pot.
Put enough water in the pot to cover the beef. Bring to a boil, and then if you want, add star anise and salt. Add the last 4 tablespoons of soy sauce.
Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for about 2 to 2.5 hours, or until the meat is as soft as you want.
Take the vegetables off the heat and set them aside. We’ll move on to the noodles now.
Follow the directions on the package to cook the noodles. Most of the time, you boil a pot of water, add the noodles, and then add more water to finish cooking them. But different kinds of noodles cook in different ways, so make sure to follow the directions!
Take the noodles out of the water when they are cooked.
Here, you can make your beef noodle soup how you like it. To add bok choy and an egg, you would put the bok choy in boiling water with an egg and let it cook for 3 minutes. Then, turn the heat off.
Put noodles, bok choy, a poached egg, and red braised beef into a bowl (including beef, broth and tomatoes). If the braised beef sauce or broth is too thick, you can add more chicken broth to thin it out. Also, add scallions, cilantro, pickled green mustard, and red chilli oil or sauce if you want.

Roasted Szechuan Prawns Recipe

These roasted Szechuan prawns boast a crisp, tangy coating and are a delicious appetiser or snack.

Ingredients

1 tsp. fresh Ginger (finely chopped)
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. spring onion (chopped)
coriander leaves (to garnish, optional)
1 tsp. garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tbsp. rice wine
1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
115 mL stock (I use water instead since the bean paste is quite salty)
300 grams king prawns (uncooked and unpeeled, with heads still attached)
oil (for deep-frying)
1 1/2 Tbsp. chilli bean paste (toban jiang)

Instructions

Cut the back of the prawn to remove the vein, but leave the shell intact. Rinse with cold water and dry the prawns with a kitchen towel.
Heat the oil and fry the prawns for about 2 minutes or until they are bright orange. Remove and set aside.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the wok and stir-fry the chilli bean paste over low heat for about a minute. Then add the prawns, Ginger, Garlic, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar and water (or stock). Increase the heat and bring it to a boil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes while stirring frequently.
Add rice vinegar. When most of the liquid has evaporated, add spring onions. Serve warm, and add coriander leaves for garnish.

Vegetarian Mapo Tofu

Sichuan mapo tofu is traditionally made with pork, but a vegetarian version called mala tofu isn’t as well-known.

Ingredients

3 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
12 to 14 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 block soft or medium-firm tofu (about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons fermented black beans (or substitute black bean sauce)
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

For Sauce

2 ½ tablespoons chilli bean paste
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

Instructions

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water for 15 to 20 minutes until they soften. Drain the shiitakes and squeeze out any extra water into the bowl. Keep the water that tastes like mushrooms because you will need it in the next step to make the sauce. Throw away the mushroom stems and chop the mushroom caps into small pieces.
Get the sauce ready: Mix the water that tastes like mushrooms, chilli bean paste, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and Sichuan pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Rinse the black beans to get rid of dirt, and mash them with the back of a spoon.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates when it hits the pan. Stir in the peanut oil to coat the bottom. Add the chopped mushrooms and mashed black beans, and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the mushrooms are crispy, and the black beans smell good and are also a little crispy.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the scallion whites, Garlic, and Ginger. Stir-fry for about 1 minute or until the Garlic and Ginger smell good.
Pour the sauce into the pot, bring the liquid to a boil, and then turn it down to a simmer. Now, the liquid should be a lovely shade of red. Add the tofu cubes carefully, making sure not to move them around too much, or they will break. Let the sauce simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes so the tofu can cook and soak up the sauce.
Move the tofu carefully to the sides and make a small well in the centre. Stir in the mixture of cornstarch and water in the middle. Let the liquid simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Place on a deep plate or wide bowl, sprinkle the scallion greens on top and serve hot.

Conclusion:

Chilli Bean Paste is an exciting condiment made from ground red chilli peppers, fermented soybeans, Garlic, and salt. It provides a spicy flavour boost to any dish and can be used as a dipping sauce, or incorporated into soups and stews. So give it a try the next time you cook some delicious food and see how you like it!

FAQs

How does the taste of chilli bean paste compare to Sriracha?

Chilli bean paste tastes a little less hot and sour than Sriracha. The taste isn’t as strong, but it’s still delicious. How they are made affects how they taste. Chilli bean paste is made from fermented and yellow soybeans, while Sriracha is made from red jalapenos.

What are the differences between chilli bean paste and Sriracha?

Sriracha is a hot chilli sauce made from red jalapeno peppers, distilled vinegar, Garlic, sugar, salt, and other spices.

Chilli Bean Paste is a sauce made from soy that tastes sweeter. It is often used to cook Chinese food.

Sriracha is red and has a more substantial heat than Chilli Bean Paste, which is green and doesn’t have as much heat. Salt is also in Sriracha, but Chilli Bean Paste lacks salt.

What are the common uses of Chilli Bean Paste?

Chilli Bean Paste, also called Toban Djan, is a Cantonese version of a Sichuan ingredient. Because of this, it is not the best thing to use in Sichuan dishes. You won’t get the real taste of Sichuan doubanjiang from it.

Still, Westerners probably won’t care about the difference, and Toban Djan is likely to be the easiest and cheapest fermented broad bean paste to find. Chilli Bean Paste is often used to make kung pao chicken in places other than Sichuan.

It is mainly used as a marinade or seasoning for meats or vegetables or as a sauce to dip meat, vegetables, and other foods.