Sriracha Chili Sauce Nahm Prik Sriracha

Recently acquiring culinary celebrity status, originating in a small seaside town in the gulf of Thailand, once simply a table condiment, this chili sauce is now used as a major seasoning. This chili sauce has become a favorite with Asian and Western cooks alike. You can buy the bottled sauce on your grocer’s shelf or make this simple version. The traditional version is fermented before it is cooked, giving the sauce a deeper flavor.

Makes 1½ cups (375 ml) Preparation time: 5 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

¾ lb (350 g) red finger-length chilies, roughly chopped

4–6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup (250 ml) water

¼ cup (65 ml) distilled white vinegar

1 Combine the chilies, garlic, salt, fish sauce, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

2 Transfer the boiled ingredients to a blender, add the vinegar and purée until very smooth, about 2 minutes.

3 Strain through a fine wire mesh strainer. Taste and adjust seasoning with vinegar, sugar, and salt.

4 Store in the refrigerator for up to a month or two.

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Nahm Jim Gai

This thick, sweet, savory, sour, and spicy sauce has become one of my favorites, always on hand as a dip for vegetables or spring rolls. I like to use it as a base for a sauce, or for basting when I am grilling meat or fish. Traditionally, this sauce was used in the Northeast of Thailand for grilled chicken, similar to the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken (page 64). It only takes a few moments to use the mortar and pestle for grinding the chilies and garlic, actually faster than mincing by hand and I like the jagged edges that you will see floating in the transparent sauce.

Makes 1 cup (250 ml) Preparation time: 5 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

2 tablespoons minced or pounded red finger-length chilies 1 Thai chili, minced or pounded

1 tablespoon minced or pounded garlic

1½ teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt

1¼ cups (300 g) sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

¾ cup (180 ml) distilled white vinegar

½ cup (125 ml) water

1 Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup (250 ml). It will thicken further as it cools.

2 Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator for up to a few months.

Thai Chili Jam Nahm Prik Pow

Jam-like in consistency, savory and sweet in taste, this multi-purpose sauce is used as a shortcut to flavor in today’s Thai kitchens. Need to whip up a quick tom yum -like Hot and Sour Tamarind Soup (page 56), a few spoons of this will do it. if you want to add a rich flavor and reddish hue to fried rice, then you are also covered. Making your own Thai chili jam is worth the investment, make a large batch as it lasts for months in your refrigerator. When you buy the small dried shrimp, store them in the freezer to extend their shelf-life to nearly a year. However, if you’re not interested in making your own, there are a few really good quality brands on the store shelves (go to   for an updated list), labeled as Chili Paste in Soya Bean Oil.

Makes 1 cup (250 ml) Preparation time: 5 mins + soaking time + cooling time Cooking time: 10 mins

1 tablespoon dried shrimp

½ cup (125 ml) oil

1 cup (100 g) sliced shallots

½ cup (70 g) sliced garlic

¼ cup (6 g) dried red finger-length chilies

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons Tamarind Pulp or concentrate (page 25)

3 tablespoons Thai palm sugar or light brown sugar

1 Soak the shrimp in warm water for 5 minutes then drain and dry with paper towels. If you want to tame the heat of the chilies, remove the seeds.

2 Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat; add the shrimp and cook until they darken, about 1 minute. Scoop out the shrimp and reserve. Fry the shallots in the same oil, stirring often until the edges are golden brown, about 2–4 minutes. Strain and reserve the shallots. Repeat with the garlic. Fry the chilies in the same oil until light in color, this is quick—about 5 seconds, set aside to cool.

3 Use a mini food processor or mortar to pulverize or purée the fried shrimp, shallots, garlic, and chilies until very fine or smooth. If using a processor you may need to use some of the frying oil to facilitate the puréeing.

4 Combine the purée with the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan or wok and boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Dried Shrimp: Small shrimp are salted and sundried to create a bright orange, salty-sweet ingredient essential to cuisines in this region. Every Southeast Asian country uses dried shrimp in its own way. In Thailand they are pounded and then used in salads such as the Thai green papaya salad (som tom). In Vietnam they’re used to top small rice cakes with crispy pork and dried shrimp (banh beo), and in Malaysia they’re used to enhance the broth of Malaysian coconut and lemongrass curry laksa. Although they possess a heady seafood aroma, these chewy seafood treasures can be addictive, so much so that I snack on them when using them in recipes. Look for bright orange, supple specimens. They are pounded into pastes, thrown raw into salads, and infused into broths.

Fried Shallots

Caramelized shallots are a universal garnish in Southeast Asia. Across the region home cooks, street food vendors, and fine dining restaurants alike use them. I often place them on the table during meal times and allow my friends and family to use them at will, adding crunch, sweet-n-bitter flavor notes to noodle soups, piles of rice or chilled salads. I usually buy mine in Malaysia and bring them back to keep in my freezer. When buying them pre-made here in the US, I look for those that list only shallots and oil in the ingredient list.

Makes about ½ cup (50 g) Preparation time: 5 mins + drying time Cooking time: 20 mins

6 shallots

½ cup (125 ml) oil

1 Trim off the root end of the shallots, then cut them in half lengthwise, peel and slice into even thin slices.

2 Air dry the sliced shallots on towel-lined baking sheet for 2 hours.

3 Combine the shallots and oil in a small skillet or wok over medium-low heat, stirring often until the shallots begin to sizzle. Lower the heat and continue to fry, stirring occasionally until the shallots turn light golden brown (about 15–20 minutes). Watch closely—the difference between golden and burnt is a matter of seconds.

4 When the shallots reach golden brown color, remove them with a heat-proof strainer, then spread them out on a few layers of paper towels.

5 Cool to room temperature before transferring to an air-tight container for storage.

Fried Garlic

I always keep a jar of these in my refrigerator using them to sprinkle on top of fried rice, in a bowl of noodle soup, or even to wake up some leftovers I brought back from a restaurant. I must admit I usually buy them already fried at the store in a small bag or jar. Either way they are a sure bet to add a depth of flavor and a bit of crunch.

Makes ½ cup (60 g) Preparation time: 5 mins + drying time Cooking time: 15 mins

10 cloves garlic

¼ cup (65 ml) oil

1 First decide how you want to cut the garlic. You can either chop it or make thin even slices, simply personal preference. Either way, try to make them as evenly cut as possible so they fry at the same rate.

2 Air dry the sliced or chopped garlic on a towel-lined baking sheet for 1 hour.

3 Combine the garlic and oil in a small skillet or wok over medium-low heat, stirring often until the garlic begins to sizzle. Lower the heat and continue to fry, stirring occasionally until light golden brown (about 15 minutes). Watch closely—the difference between golden and burnt is a matter of seconds.

4 When the garlic reaches golden brown color, remove them with a heat-proof strainer, then spread them out on a few layers of paper towels.

5 Cool to room temperature before transferring to an air-tight container. Best if stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for a few months.