Essential Kitchen Staples: Homemade Colorful Sauces and Syrups

It's hard to trust bottled colorings and sauces from the market. Try these homemade recipes for colorful sauces and syrups instead!

Commercial sauces and syrups are often hailed as the secret to culinary allure. But if you're wary of their quality, make your own right in your kitchen for the health and satisfaction of your family.

1. How to Make Nut Oil Coloring

Perfect for dishes like: crab noodle soup, beef noodles, char siu...

Essential ingredients for making peanut oil color:

- Peanuts: 250g (readily available at supermarkets);

- Cooking oil: 60ml.

Steps to follow:

Step 1:

Place the purchased cashews in a separate bowl.

Step 2:

Heat a pot on the stove, pour cooking oil into it, and bring it to a boil. Once the oil is boiling, add cashews, stir until they turn red.

In this step, make sure not to cook for too long. When the cashews turn a beautiful red, turn off the stove, or else they will burn and the oil will turn black.

Step 3:

Turn off the stove and let it cool, then scoop out the cashew shells. Take a clean glass jar, pour the cashew oil into it, cover tightly with a lid for later use.

Cashew oil color water

2. How to make color water for braised dishes

Ideal for braised dishes to have a beautiful color.

Ingredients needed for making this color water:

Brown sugar: 160g;

Lemon: ½ fruit;

Fresh coconut water: 330ml;

Follow these steps to make this colorful drink:

Step 1:

Combine brown sugar and 200ml of fresh coconut water in a pot, simmer over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves.

Step 2:

Continue simmering until the sugar turns into a dark black color, then turn off the heat, slice the lemon into thin slices, and add to the sugar water.

Step 3:

For the final step, pour the remaining fresh coconut water into a pot and bring it to a boil for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let it cool and transfer it into a sealed glass jar for later use.

Coloring agent for braised dishes

3. Making natural food coloring

Tomato sauce

Ingredients needed for making this food coloring

- Tomatoes: 300g;

- Salt: 20g;

Here's how to make colorful water:

Step 1:

Choose ripe, red tomatoes and wash them thoroughly. Use a cross-shaped knife to cut the top of the tomato.

Step 2:

Heat a pot of water on the stove, bring it to a boil, then gently place the tomatoes in for about 5 minutes. Next, remove the tomatoes to cool and peel off the outer skin.

Step 3:

Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl, use a whisk or a blender to puree them. You can also use a blender for a smoother consistency.

Pour the pureed mixture into the pot, add a bit of salt, bring to a boil for approximately 15 minutes, ensuring to simmer gently!

Finally, use a spoon to skim off any foam until smooth. Let it cool, then transfer to a glass jar, seal tightly, and use as needed.

Indulge in the allure of tomato sauce.

4. Recipe for Spicy Garlic Chili Oil

Perfect for dishes like noodles, pho, and more.

Ingredients needed for making this colored water:

- Finely minced garlic: 1 teaspoon;

- Lemongrass: 2 stalks;

- Shallots: 1 bulb;

- 3 peppers;

- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil;

- 1 teaspoon of chili powder;

- 2 tablespoons of peanut oil;

Action:

Step 1:

- Crushed ginger, sliced clean chili, and peeled shallots, then chop finely into a bowl.

Step 2:

- Add two tablespoons of cooking oil into a hot pan, then add chopped shallots and minced garlic into the pan, quickly and evenly stir to prevent burning.

Step 3:

- Next, add lemongrass, one teaspoon of chili powder, chili, one teaspoon of salt, and one-third cup of water, cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.

- The final step is to add two tablespoons of melted butter, stir evenly for 30 seconds until reaching the desired consistency.

Turn off the stove and let the chili garlic sauce cool before storing it in a sealed glass jar for later use.

Enjoy the aromatic chili garlic sauce.

Important note on making colored liquids:

When storing, do not fill the glass jar too full with colored liquid. Leave about 1cm of space between the liquid and the lid, then turn the jar upside down for a few minutes. This prevents air from entering the jar, thus prolonging its preservation.

With this simple method of making flavored water, you'll spend very little time and still enjoy delicious flavors without worrying about food safety.