Thai cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Nam Prik Makhuea Yao

Chili dip made from charred long eggplants, their smoky note pounded with lime, garlic and fish sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600 g long eggplants (Asian variety)
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 shallots
• 4 green chilies (long, mild variety)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 300 g vegetables for dipping (cucumber, green beans, white cabbage)

Instructions

1. Place the eggplants, unpeeled garlic cloves, shallots and chilies on a tray and grill under the oven broiler at 240°C for 20–25 min., turning twice, until the skins are blistered black all over.
2. Let everything steam covered for 10 min., then peel the charred skins off the eggplants, garlic, shallots and chilies – the smoky note stays in the flesh.
3. Pound the garlic, shallots and chilies with a pinch of salt in a mortar to a coarse paste.
4. Roughly chop the eggplant flesh, add it and pound briefly, just enough to keep the dip chunky rather than pureed.
5. Season with fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar until saltiness, acidity and sweetness are balanced.
6. Stir in the chopped cilantro, transfer the dip to a bowl and serve lukewarm with the vegetable sticks.