With this soy dipping sauce for banh mi, the difficulty is judging the thickness. A thin sauce runs straight out of the bread, while a thick one turns harshly salty. Scorched shallot and garlic will make the whole bowl bitter.
The minced chili goes in last, off the heat, so the heat stays fresh and the sauce keeps its glossy brown color. The sauce thickens further as it cools, so the stove goes off while it is still slightly loose.
This batch weighs about 119g, at roughly 169 calories per 100g.
Method
Set a pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon minced shallot and 1 teaspoon minced garlic and fry until fragrant.
Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 2 tablespoons water, stirring until everything dissolves.
Add 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 teaspoon chili sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, lower the heat and stir gently.
Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat, stir in 1 teaspoon minced chili and spoon it into a bowl.
Tips
A glossy brown color and a balance of salty and sweet mean the sauce is ready, and it suits any banh mi filling.
Chili powder stands in for fresh chili, added a little at a time with a taste in between.
The sesame oil goes in just before the heat goes off, since long cooking drives the aroma away and turns the sauce bitter.
Medium heat and an early lift keep the shallot and garlic from scorching, as even a touch of burn turns the whole bowl bitter.
The sauce thickens as it cools, so the stove goes off while it is still slightly loose.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.