Despite the chaos and drama, I like coming home because I get to spend time with my mom in her kitchen, cooking and eating my favorite foods. Many of these I rarely make back in Portland because I don't have anyone to enjoy them with. This Isaan-style dip is one such food. Unlike other popular Thai dipping sauces that are sweet, this one is spicy and savory. It goes wonderfully with steamed, grilled or fried fish and fresh vegetables, such as cabbage, romaine lettuce, Chinese long beans or Asian mustard greens. I like to dip my sticky rice in it too.
There's no real recipe, but this is roughly what you'll need:
galangal, minced (about 1/2 to 1 tbs worth)
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely sliced
4 or 5 cloves garlic, skin on
spicy dried red chilies, to taste (okay to use fresh too)
1 large shallot, sliced
2 to 3 medium-sized tomatoes
5 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1 tsp kappi shrimp paste* (or more to taste)
fresh lime juice, to taste
fish sauce, to taste
finely sliced green onions, to taste (about 1 or 2 should do it)
chopped cilantro, to taste (about 1/2 bunch)
Toast the galangal, lemongrass, garlic, chilies and shallot in a dry frying pan. The spices will be fragrant and the garlic skins will start to brown. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, toast the tomatoes until their skins start to darken. (The tomatoes may also be put under the broiler for the same result.) Remove and chop.
Now here's the tricky part. You have to grind the toasted herbs into a paste. (Remove the garlic skins first.) The galangal and lemongrass must be completely broken down, otherwise the dip will unpalatable. A mortar and pestle works, but requires a lot of elbow grease. My mom uses her VitaMix, which does an excellent job, as you can see in the picture above. Once you get a nice paste from the herbs, add the chopped tomatoes, shrimp paste, lime juice, fish sauce to taste, green onions and cilantro, to taste.
Enjoy!
*My mom also likes to add pla raa, a pickled/fermented fish that is used liberally in Isaan-style food. I won't be offended if you decide not to.
7 comments:
I smiled at your description of Christmas at home :-). I also like this dip - a lot. I hope the new year brings health, wealth and happiness. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
Mary, thank you for the kind words. I wish you a happy and prosperous new year as well!
Oh, love this!
You know, I can mix a spoonful of this dip with plain rice and call it a happy meal. Okay, throw in a serving of Thai omelet and you'll get a very, very happy meal.
Leela, yes, very good with Thai omelet too! Happy New Year to you!
Would you dip grilled steak with this? I ate a dip at Palms Thai, where Thai Elvis performs :P, that was really good but couldn't figure out by taste all the ingredients. I thought it might have been nam prik pao, but that's because that's the only dip I know.
WC, yes, I would use this with grilled steak. Just about any type of meat you grill goes very well.
Naam prik pao is something different altogether. It's a dark, thick paste and it's sweet and spicy. Thais will eat it as is, but I've never seen it offered at restaurants as a dipping sauce (though it should be!). It's more commonly used a component in recipes.
It depends on the taste of the dip as well. Check for hamptons restaurants as well for other meals.
Post a Comment