Nam Prik Ta Daeng (Red Hot Chili Paste) 🌶️🌶️

Hello, everyone. 🤗🤗 Today I'd like to introduce a Thai chili paste called Nam Prik Ta Daeng. It's a kind of chili paste I really enjoy eating. It's widely available here, or you can make it at home without much difficulty. It's a chili paste with a dry, thick, and sticky texture. First, the various herbs and aromatics are roasted or grilled to bring out their fragrance, then pounded together until well combined, and finally seasoned. You can serve it right away or stir-fry it until it dries out a bit, with or without adding extra oil.
Nam Prik Ta Daeng has many recipes adapted from the traditional one; some might include dried shrimp or grilled fish. Here is my recipe.

🌶️ Ingredients

🫕 Instructions

Clean the dried chilies by rinsing them, drain them in a colander, then roast them over medium heat until they change color and are slightly charred.

Place the shallots and garlic in a pan, add the water, and bring to a boil. Wait for the water to evaporate, then continue roasting them until slightly charred.

Add the coconut sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce, salt, and seasoning powder. .

Transfer the mixture back to the pan and stir-fry again briefly until it dries out slightly and the other seasonings cook through. Turn off the heat.

Spoon into a bowl. If storing in the refrigerator, let the chili paste cool completely, then place it in an airtight container. It will keep for about two weeks. It can be stored in the freezer for several months.

Enjoy Nam Prik Ta Daeng with fresh vegetables, boiled vegetables, fried fish, or an omelet. It's also delicious used to make fried rice with Nam Prik Ta Daeng and fresh shrimp, or stir-fried pork with Nam Prik Ta Daeng.