Nam jim viet ('vietnam' sauce)

1 Servings

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Water
½ cup White granulated sugar
¼ cup Kratiem (garlic), chopped very fine
¼ cup Prik chi fa (Thai jalapenas), sliced paper thin
1 tablespoon Tamarind paste
1 tablespoon Nam manao (lime juice)
1 teaspoon Fish sauce
Gelling agent (optional)

This is a popular dipping sauce in Thailand, though exactly why it is called 'Vietnamese' nobody seems able to tell me.

The sauce may be thickened with gelatine or any of the typical vegetable gelling agents sold for preserve making: simply use them to thicken the sugar syrup as if it were water.

Some commercial versions of this sauce puree the chillies but home made versions are usually made from paper thin slices of chilli.

a tablespoon of vinegar can be substituted for the tamarind paste.

METHOD: Warm the water, and soak the tamarind paste in it for an hour, then squeeze it thoroughly to extract as much juice as possible, and then pass it through a chinois or other very fine sieve to remove the pulp.

Bring the water to a gentle boil, and stir in the sugar, dissolving each addition thoroughly, and continuing until have added it all, then continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to thicken it, by reducing the mixture to about 1 cup.

slice the chillies and chop the garlic, then when the sugar syrup is reduced, add the lime juice, and fish sauce (and the gelling agent if you are using it), and allow to cool.

When the mixture is down to a warm room temperature, stir in the chillies and garlic, and leave to stand for about 30 minutes, before tasting and if necessary adding a little more lime juice or fish sauce to taste.

Store in a well sealed preserving jar. It will keep 6-8 weeks in a refrigerator.

Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST V3 #140 Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 15:43:37 -0700 From: "Colonel I.F.K. Philpott" <colonel@...>

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