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1
Pour the oil into a small, heavy pan set over a medium-low flame. Add the sliced garlic and sliced red chilli together into the cold oil. The cold-start ensures even cooking without scorching.
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2
Raise the heat to medium and fry, stirring frequently, until the garlic slices turn uniformly golden and begin to crisp at the edges. This is where the dish lives or dies: pull the pan from the heat one shade before the garlic looks fully done — residual heat in the oil will carry it to a deep gold. If the garlic darkens to brown, the oil turns bitter and the batch is lost.
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3
Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the solids to settle and the oil to cool. The finished oil should be translucent amber, fragrant with garlic and chilli, and the garlic slices should shatter cleanly between the fingers.
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4
Transfer the oil and all crispy solids together into a clean jar. Serve by spooning the oil and crispy garlic over rice and any protein.