How To Make Lumpia Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Imagine you?ve just cooked fried the famous Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls), made it extra crispy and golden for that crunchy taste with a sweet chili dipping sauce beside it. Just the perfect blend. Every Filipino knows how it would taste, who would not drool over this right? If you are into Asian Cuisine, specifically Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls), Sweet Chili sauce has this perfectly sweet, with extra sour and spicy taste to pair with your Lumpia. Aside from lumpia, sweet chili dipping sauce can also be paired with egg rolls, chicken and other delicious foods too.

Making Sweet Chili Dipping is relatively quick and easy. Most of the ingredients (water, sugar, ketchup, chili peppers, vinegar and a little cornstarch) can be easily found in your kitchen and you already have it since it is used daily, so making this sauce can be cost effective as well.?

Vinegar is used to balance the sweetness sugar or honey gives, to give a little bit of sourness taste just like adding some ketchup into it too. Aside from that tartness ketchup gives, it also is responsible for that reddish orange hue. You’ll also have the option to add a little bit of carrots that are shredded which are used mainly for appearance and texture purposes. Not really required though, just optional.

If you want your Sweet Chili Dipping sauce to have that thick consistency, you may add cornstarch. If many of you are wondering, how does cornstarch thickens. I will give you a brief detail about cornstarch and how it can thicken the consistency of the sauce.

As most of us are aware, cornstarch is a thickening agent in the culinary field. But there is a secret to it. You cannot just add cornstarch directly to the sauce or else it will clumped up. In order to avoid this, you need to make a slurry out of it. Making slurry is a combination of water (make sure it is a cold one) and some equal parts of the cornstarch. After making a slurry, that is the time to add it to the sauce. But how does it thickens. Well, cornstarch are like those little sponges wherein when comes in contact and soaked in water, they expand. That basically how cornstarch is used to thicken the consistency of your sauce.

Additional tip: How to make a Slurry

For each cup of sauce you want to thicken, first is to put in a small bowl 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Then add an equal amount of cold water. Stir until it forms into a smooth paste, this is now your Slurry.

Now, Add your slurry unto the simmering sweet chili sauce. Cover and bring to a boil. Wait until that starchy taste from cornstarch starts to be cooked away. Note: Do not cook any longer, doing so will only bring the starch to thin out instead of thicken.

Now that you have already know a little background about making Sweet Chili Dipping sauce, I cannot wait to teach you how to make it with my very own simplified recipe that I think is perfect enough to pair with your Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls).

RECIPE FOR LUMPIA SWEET CHILI DIPPING SAUCE

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ready in about: 15 minutes

What you need:

• Ketchup
• Salt
• Sugar
• Vinegar
• Cornstarch

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of Vinegar
• 1  tablespoons of Ketchup
• 2 tablespoons of Sugar (Alternative is Honey)
• 2 teaspoons of ginger, grated
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of Slurry (Cornstarch)
• A pinch of salt

Optional:

• 1 -2 Siling Labuyo (Chili Peppers), finely minced
• 1 cups Carrots, Shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small size saucepan, pour in water and vinegar. Over high heat, bring mixture to boil.
2. Add Ketchup, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili Pepper. Mix it well
3. Then, simmer the mixture for 5 minutes over low heat.
4. Add cornstarch slurry over the simmering sauce.
5. Finally, add a pinch of salt for seasoning
6. After 5 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thick remove the saucepan from the stove. Let it cool down.
7. Serve as a dipping sauce
8. Enjoy dipping!

Since the finished products can make up to 1 cup of Sweet Chili Sauce, if you will not be consuming everything all at once, you may transfer the remaining sweet chili sauce to a bottle. Cover it tightly and refrigerate it for a longer shelf life.

Also, if you do not have the time to make your own Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce for your Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls), I recommend you buy this sauce Mae Ploy Sweet Chili sauce instead. It has the same savory sweetness that perfect for your Lumpia whenever you are in a rush.

Interested in other recipes? Feel free to comment below. Also, let me know your experience along the way. I look forward to hearing from you.