Description
This Thai salad dressing, also known as a spicy dipping sauce or น้ำยำ / น้ำจิ้มซีฟู้ด, is a vibrant blend of Southeast Asian flavors. Combining garlic, Thai chilis, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice, this dressing provides a perfect balance of spicy, sour, and sweet. It is quick to prepare, versatile, and ideal for enhancing salads, seafood dishes, or as a standalone dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 8 Thai chilis (adjust to taste)
- 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 ½ tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Pound the garlic: Using a mortar and pestle, pound the peeled garlic cloves until they are crushed and fragrant.
- Add and pound the chilis: Add the Thai chilis to the mortar and continue pounding them together with the garlic, releasing their heat and aroma.
- Combine fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice: Pour the fish sauce, granulated sugar, and lime juice into the mortar with the pounded garlic and chilis.
- Mix thoroughly: Use a spoon to stir and mix all ingredients well until the sugar is completely dissolved and the dressing is well blended.
Notes
- Taste-test as you go to balance the flavors to your preference; the provided quantities give a traditional spicy and sour balance.
- Adjust the number of chilis to control the heat level, especially if you have a lower tolerance for spicy foods.
- This dressing works great as both a salad dressing and a dipping sauce for seafood or grilled meats.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauces
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Thai
