Ingredients
Chillies
- 300 glong green chillies, such as prik num or Hungarian wax
- 3bird’s eye chillies, for heat
Aromatics
- 8shallots, unpeeled
- 1 headof garlic, unpeeled
- 3cherry tomatoes, or 1 small green tomato
To season
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tspshrimp paste, if wanted
- 1 tspsalt
- 1 tbsplime juice
- a handful of coriander, chopped
To serve
- sticky rice
- pork crackling, or khaep mu
- steamed vegetables
- boiled eggs
Equipment
- a mortar and pestle
- a charcoal grill, ideally
Directions
- Put the shallots and the whole head of garlic on the grill unpeeled. Turn them over every few minutes. Grill them for about fifteen minutes. They should be blackened in patches and completely soft inside. Lay the chillies on the grill whole. Turn them as the skin blisters and blackens.
- Grill them for about eight to ten minutes. They should be soft and well blackened in places. Grill the tomatoes alongside for the last five minutes. Put all the grilled things in a bowl and cover it. Let them steam in their own heat for ten minutes.
- Peel the shallots and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins. Pull the stems off the chillies. Rub most of the blackened skin off the chillies.
- Leave some of it, since it carries the smoke. Do not rinse anything under the tap. Leave the seeds in the long chillies for a hotter dip. Put the garlic, shallots and salt in the mortar first.
- Pound them into a rough paste. Add the shrimp paste now if you are using it. Add the chillies a few at a time. Pound and turn after each addition.
- Add the grilled tomatoes last. It should be a rough chunky paste, not a smooth sauce. Add the fish sauce and stir it through. Add the lime juice to the paste. Taste it and adjust the salt, sourness and heat. It should be smoky first, then salty, then hot.
- Stir in the chopped coriander. Spoon it into a small serving bowl. Set it in the middle of the table with sticky rice around it. Serve pork crackling for scooping. It keeps for three days in the fridge.
Technique
- Char over charcoal if you can, since the smoke is the whole character of the dish.
- Do not rinse the charred skins off under the tap, which washes away the smoke.
- Pound rather than blend, since a smooth purée is the wrong texture.
Substitutions
- Hungarian wax or long green Anaheim chillies in place of prik num.
- A gas flame or dry pan in place of charcoal, accepting less smoke.
Variations
- Made hotter, with more bird’s eye chillies.
- Vegetarian, with the fish sauce and shrimp paste left out.
- With grilled aubergine pounded in, which some cooks add.
History
The northern Thai chilli dip eaten with sticky rice, pork crackling and steamed vegetables.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nam Prik Num?
Nam Prik Num is a sauce & condiment from Thailand: charred green chillies pounded with garlic and shallot into a smoky dip. The northern Thai chilli dip eaten with sticky rice, pork crackling and steamed vegetables.
How long does Nam Prik Num take to make?
Nam Prik Num takes 30 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 bowl. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Nam Prik Num?
Yes, within limits. Hungarian wax or long green Anaheim chillies in place of prik num. A gas flame or dry pan in place of charcoal, accepting less smoke.
What is the most important thing to get right in Nam Prik Num?
Put the shallots and the whole head of garlic on the grill unpeeled. Turn them over every few minutes. Grill them for about fifteen minutes. They should be blackened in patches and completely soft inside. Lay the chillies on the grill whole. Turn them as the skin blisters and blackens.
