CONDIMENTS
A Condiment is anything added to food to enhance its flavour after it has been prepared. It can be a sauce, a spice mix, a pickle, a vinaigrette, or any other preparation.
THAI ROASTED CHILLI PASTE/ NAM-PRIK-PAO
15 large, red dry chillies
2 tablespoons dried shrimp
1 cup vegetable oil
10 garlic cloves, finely sliced
½ cup shallot, finely sliced
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind juice
DETAILS :
CUT the dry chillies into ¼-inch pieces, deseed and soak them in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to kitchen paper. Ground the dried shrimp.
PUT a wok on medium heat, and add the vegetable oil. Fry the dry chillies until crisp. Remove and keep aside. In the same oil, fry the garlic and shallot until golden brown, remove and set aside.
IN a mortar or a food processor, add all the fried ingredients and pound or process to form a fine paste.
RETURN the paste to the hot oil on medium heat and stir fry for 3 minutes. Lower the heat, add ground dried shrimp, palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind juice and cook for 2 more minutes. Keep stirring all the time to prevent it from burning. Remove the paste from heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This paste can be stored in a refrigerator for 2 weeks or up to a month in a freezer.
FOR vegetarians, omit the shrimp.
