There is no end to what you can do with condiments. Use chile oils and hot sauces to spice things up. Use chutneys to add sour sweetness. Just before serving, you can add sauces, pastes, and spice concoctions to food to add flavour or texture. We enjoy setting them out on the table so that guests can help themselves to as little or as much as they desire, whether they are sour, spicy, salty, sweet, or a combination of flavours. Even though we adore traditional condiments like store-bought ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard, there are a ton of other varieties we suggest adding to your cupboard. Serve your next dinner with one or two homemade condiments to make it even more memorable.
Easy Tomato Ketchup
Make simple tomato ketchup at home for a homemade variation on the traditional American condiment that is frequently served with French fries. To replicate the flavour of your preferred store-bought ketchup, the recipe utilises tomato paste, dried spices, and brown sugar. To extend storage, you can even can the recipe.
Green Schug: A Middle Eastern Hot Sauce
Shug, which is also known as zhug, can be red, green, or brown. Whatever the hue, it is hot and delectable. This green shug has a vibrant flavour in addition to the spiciness because it is created with jalapeo, garlic, fresh herbs, and spices.
Dutch Satay Sauce
This sauce, which has Indonesian influences, is a staple in Dutch cooking. The peanut satay sauce, which is nutty, creamy, and spicy, goes well with skewered meats, barbeque, fries, and other foods.
South Indian Coconut Chutney
This mild coconut chutney is perfect for dosas, idlis, and uttapams because it also contains black mustard seeds, dried chilies, and curry leaves. It tastes good spread on a meaty sandwich and with pretty much any kind of meat.
Classic Chinese Duck Sauce
A delightful sweet, tangy, savoury flavour is added by duck sauce, also known as plum sauce, to foods like ribs, egg rolls, noodles, stir-fries, and duck (of course). Because of its excellent flavour, this time-consuming, homemade dish is worth the effort. For the greatest results, allow it to sit for a couple of weeks before using.
Spanish Garlic Alioli
Spanish alioli—spelled allioli in Catalan, where it is produced without eggs—is thick, garlicky, and served with a variety of foods, including croquettes, fried potatoes, vegetables, meats, and more. It tastes good smeared on bread or in your favourite sandwich.
Nam Chim Kai - Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
It's really simple to prepare this sweet chilli sauce at home, known as nam chim kai in Thailand. It gives foods like shrimp, egg rolls, wings, spring rolls, and more a little acidic, spicy sweetness. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a month.
Eel Sauce
Despite not actually containing any eels, Japanese-American eel sauce is frequently served with unagi (grilled eels) and eel rolls. Just four ingredients are needed: mirin, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. A flavorful, savoury sauce for wings, tofu, veggies, and shellfish is created once it is reduced to syrup.
South African Fruit Chutney
Fruit chutneys are also well-liked in South Africa, despite the Southeast Asian origins of chutney. In this recipe, raisins, peaches, and dried apricots are cooked together with vinegar, sugar, and seasonings. The end result is a sweet, tangy, and savoury sauce that pairs well with salty meats.
Sambal Sauce
In Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, sambal is a well-liked condiment. Chillies and aromatics like ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, and galangal are used to make the hot sauce. Try it on almost everything, from rice dishes to sandwiches to soup, if you enjoy spicy food.
