How to make the easiest and best Plum and Chilli dipping sauce from some simple ingredients.
We’ve always got leftover fruit like plums on fridge clean out days. I like to clean the fridge out the day before grocery shopping. A nice clean fridge is great for fresh food and I get to see what leftovers I have to turn into something delicious. One of those leftovers always seems to be plums. The lesson here might be to not buy so many plums right, but then I woudn’t have plums floating around to make some of these tasty recipes. I’ve made Plum and orange Jam, A plum and mixed berry jam and this fantastic Spicy plum dipping sauce.
I found a bowl of plums and in the fridge door a couple of green chillis I’d picked from the veggie patch a few days ago. Since I’ve already got plenty of jam, I thought I’d try a sweet and sour plum sauce that we can use as a dipping sauce for some spring rolls……I’ll have a recipe for homemade spring rolls later).
The 3 main ingredients are 12-15 plums, 1/2 an onion and 2 small chillies. There’s not much else to it apart from the usual sugar, vinegar and salt and some spice. You can cook it on a low simmer and thicken it at the end with a little flour if its too watery. Serve it chunky style or blend it all up for a smoother texture.
Here’s how to make it.
How to make Spicy Plum Dipping Sauce
List of equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cup
- Wooden spoon
- Teaspoon
- Medium cooking pot /saucepan with a lid
- Sieve
- Blender
- Jar or ziplock bags or freezable containers
Ingredients
- 12-15 ripe plums
- ½ an onion
- 2 small chilies
- 1 cup of sugar (I prefer raw sugar)
- ¼ cup of vinegar ( I prefer apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or plain flour
- Extra ¼ cup water
Method
- Wash all the plums and the chilies.
- Slice all the flesh from the plums and add the flesh to the saucepan.
- Discard the plum seeds.
- Dice up half the onion and add it to the saucepan.
- Dice up the chili and add to the saucepan.
- Add the sugar, vinegar and salt to the saucepan.
- Add the mixed spice, cinnamon and vinegar.
- Measure and add ¼ cup of water
- Stir to combine
- On a stove top bring the mixture to boil while stirring slowly.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer and put the lid on.
- Simmer the sauce for about 45 minutes until the fruit and onion are soft
- Add the tablespoon of flour to ¼ of a cup of water and stir until it’s a smooth paste.
- Add as much of the flour/water paste to the sauce mixture while stirring until the mixture thickens ( if it’s too watery)
- Cook on low for a minute or two to help cook the added flour.
- Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely
- When the mixture is cool either work it through a sieve or blend it to a smoother consistency with a stick blender or food processor
Once the sauce is completely cold and at your desired consistency then store it in a clean jar in your fridge for up to 3 weeks or so.
As an alternative, break it into separate lots and store in Ziplock bags in the freezer or suitable freezer proof containers.
This makes around 2 – 3 cups of sauce so you may prefer to store it in clean sterlised glass jars in your pantry. Wash your jars and lids then sterilize in a steaming pot of water for 30 minutes before draining on a clean tea towel or sterile sink. Add your sauce and seal the lids. These should stay well for 3- 6 months in a cool dark cupboard.
Serving suggestions
This spicy plum sauce is perfect for dipping spring rolls, dim sims or wontons etc. Simply heat it up in the microwave or in a saucepan before serving it in a smaller heatproof bowl.
You could also defrost it to use as a baste for some spicy roasted chicken or lamb or as a marinade for bbq pork or beef ribs.
Top some on your bowl of fried rice for a zingy burst of flavour or use it as base for a stir-fry sauce..
I’ll have a recipe for some delicious homemade spring rolls soon but in the meantime serve with your choice of spring rolls from your favorite grocery store.
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