Thai cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Nam Prik Ta Daeng

Southern Thai roasted chili dip, pounded in a mortar from deeply roasted chilies, dried shrimp and shrimp paste.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 10 dried red chilies
• 3 tbsp dried shrimp
• 1 tbsp shrimp paste (kapi)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 4 shallots
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp palm sugar
• 300 g vegetables for dipping (cucumber, green beans, white cabbage)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Deseed the dried chilies and soak them separately from the dried shrimp in warm water for 10 min. each, then squeeze out well.
2. Halve the garlic and shallots and roast in a dry pan over medium heat for 6–8 min. until the cut sides show dark brown spots.
3. Roast the shrimp paste wrapped in foil in the same pan for 4 min. until strongly fragrant.
4. Pound the chilies with a pinch of salt in a mortar, then work in the garlic, shallots and dried shrimp one after another until a deep red, fibrous paste forms.
5. Pound in the shrimp paste and the oil, season with lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar – the dip should stay thick and paste-like, not runny.
6. Transfer to a small bowl and serve at room temperature with vegetable sticks and sticky or jasmine rice.