Nam Prik Noom (Roasted Green Chilli Dip)
Smoky charred green chillies, shallots and garlic, pounded into a rough dip and eaten with pork crackling, sticky rice and vegetables.
- Region
- Northern Thailand
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce
- Vegetables
- Thai Shallots, Garlic, Coriander Leaves, Pumpkin
- Fruits
- Lime
Ingredients
- 8 long green chillies (prik noom, or mild green chillies such as Anaheim or Hungarian wax)
- 2–4 green bird’s eye chillies (optional, for extra heat)
- 8 small shallots, unpeeled
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
- 1–2 tbsp fish sauce, or ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp lime juice (optional)
- 1 small handful coriander, chopped
- To serve: pork crackling (khaep moo), sticky rice, steamed or raw vegetables, boiled eggs
Instructions
Nam prik noom is the most famous chilli dip of the north, sold in bags at every market in Chiang Mai alongside slabs of pork crackling. It is not a paste but a rough, smoky mash of chillies, shallots and garlic, all charred until soft and sweet.
The long green chillies it uses are only moderately hot. Most of the flavour comes from the smoke.
Method
- Grill the chillies, shallots and garlic over charcoal or a gas flame, or under a very hot grill, turning them until the skins are blackened and blistered and the insides are soft. The shallots and garlic take 10–15 minutes; the chillies a little less.
- Put the chillies in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 5 minutes to steam. Peel off the charred skins and remove the stems. Peel the shallots and garlic.
- Pound the garlic and shallots in a mortar to a coarse paste. Add the chillies and pound gently until broken down but still chunky.
- Season with fish sauce or salt, and a little lime juice if you like. Taste: it should be smoky, savoury and gently hot. Stir in the coriander.
- Serve at room temperature with pork crackling, sticky rice, and a plate of vegetables such as cucumber, long beans, cabbage and blanched pumpkin.
Cook’s tips
- Do not worry about removing every bit of charred skin; a few flecks add to the smoky flavour.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.