Thai Snack Chilis

When Rattikan offered Thai snack chilis on Facebook last October, I immediately ordered two cans from her. Since then, Fischi and I have been pretty crazy about these wild snacks from Thailand. Since the snack chilis, or in Thai “Prik Thod Grob” (พริกทอดกรอบ), are hard to find here, Fischi had already been looking for a recipe some time ago and found a YouTube video. The snack chilis he made afterward were very delicious.

Unfortunately, his snack chilis were empty again very quickly, so last weekend we met up to make some together. Because with multiple hands, removing the seeds from the dried chilis - which is certainly the most time-consuming step in the whole preparation - can be done much faster. Our joint snack chilis also turned out very tasty, although extremely spicy. Here’s how it works.

Preparation

First, as already described, the seeds must be removed from the dried chilis. The sloppier you work, the spicier the finished snack chilis will be. A good trick is to cut the chilis lengthwise and then press out the seeds by twisting them between thumb and index finger. It’s advisable to wear disposable gloves, otherwise it will hurt at some point, especially if you touch your eyes.

Now place the seeded chilis in a pot with boiling water and simmer them there for at least twenty minutes. As soon as they look almost like fresh chilis again, drain them in a sieve. We collected the cooking water because it can also be used wonderfully for seasoning dishes. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

Let the chilis drain well in the sieve, but a little liquid can remain. Then put the chilis in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Next add the sesame seeds and finally the glutinous rice flour. Mix everything well until a kind of breading has formed from the remaining liquid, sesame seeds, and flour, which covers the chilis.

Now heat plenty of peanut oil in a small pot and deep-fry the breaded chilis in portions until they have turned dark red and are firmly baked with the breading. Then place the fried chilis on a piece of kitchen paper to absorb excess oil and let them cool there.

After frying, the oil can also be stored because it makes a wonderful chili oil.

The finished snack chilis can then be snacked on immediately or will keep for some time if stored airtight. In the latter case, they are simply too delicious.

The Video

This video explains how to prepare the snack chilis. It’s in Thai, but in my opinion nethertheless quite easy to understand.