Dried Red Chillies

พริกแห้ง

Prik haeng: the colour and smoky depth behind red curry pastes and chilli flakes.

Fresh chillies give Thai food its bright heat, but dried chillies give it colour, smokiness and depth. Almost every red curry paste starts with a handful of soaked dried chillies, and dried, toasted and ground chillies are on every noodle stall table.

Pronunciation	prik haeng
Flavour	Fruity, smoky and warm; heat depends on the type
Used in	Red and dry curry pastes, nam prik, chilli flakes, jaew
Substitute	Dried guajillo or Kashmiri chillies for colour without much heat

The two main kinds

Dried long chillies (prik chee fa haeng): large, deep red and mild to medium. Used for colour and body in red, panang, massaman and northern curry pastes.
Dried bird's eye chillies (prik kee noo haeng): small and very hot. Used when a paste or dip needs fire, and for chilli flakes.

Preparing them for pastes

Cut off the stems and shake out the seeds for a milder, smoother paste. Soak the chillies in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes until soft, squeeze them dry and chop them before pounding. Soaking makes them much easier to break down in a mortar.

Making roasted chilli flakes (prik pon)

Toast dried bird's eye chillies in a dry pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until they darken and smell smoky, about 3 to 5 minutes. Let them cool, then pound or grind them to coarse flakes. Homemade flakes are smokier and far more aromatic than bought ones, and keep for a month in a jar.

Buying and storing

Choose chillies that are still deep red and slightly flexible, not brown, brittle or dusty. Keep them in a sealed jar away from light; they lose colour and flavour after about six months.

Cook’s tip
Toast chilli flakes with the window open and the extractor on. The fumes from hot chillies in a dry pan will make everyone in the house cough.

More Vegetables

All Vegetables

Recipes with Dried Red Chillies

แกง

Gaeng Lueang (Southern Sour Yellow Curry with Fish)

A bright yellow, very sour and very hot fish curry from the south, with turmeric, tamarind and green papaya or pineapple. No coconut milk.

40 min · Medium

เส้นและข้าว

Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai Curry Noodles)

Northern Thailand’s curry noodle soup: chicken legs in a rich coconut curry over soft egg noodles, topped with a nest of crispy fried noodles.

90 min · Medium

ผัด

Kua Kling (Southern Dry Curry)

Minced pork dry-fried in a fiery turmeric curry paste until every grain is coated, finished with shredded makrut lime leaves.

40 min · Medium

ต้ม

Tom Saep (Isaan Hot & Sour Pork Rib Soup)

A clear, fiery, sour soup of tender pork ribs with lemongrass, galangal, roasted chilli and lots of fresh herbs.

75 min · Easy

น้ำพริก

Nam Jim Jaew (Isaan Dipping Sauce)

The smoky, sour, salty dipping sauce served with grilled meats across Isaan, thickened with toasted rice.

10 min · Easy

ยำและตำ

Nam Tok Neua (Isaan Grilled Beef Salad)

Charred, juicy beef sliced and tossed warm with lime, fish sauce, roasted chilli, toasted rice, shallots and herbs.

25 min · Easy

ยำและตำ

Larb Moo (Isaan Minced Pork Salad)

Warm minced pork tossed with lime, fish sauce, chilli flakes, toasted rice powder, shallots and fresh mint.

30 min · Easy

เส้นและข้าว

Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao (Northern Noodles in Pork & Tomato Broth)

Soft rice noodles in a spicy, tangy broth of pork ribs, tomatoes and dried chilli paste, topped with bean sprouts, cabbage, crispy garlic and lime.

120 min · Medium

เส้นและข้าว

Pad Thai with Prawns

The street-stall classic done properly: tamarind-sour, palm-sugar sweet, fish-sauce salty, with chewy rice noodles and a bit of char from a very hot wok.

40 min · Medium

น้ำพริก

Nam Prik Ong (Northern Pork & Tomato Chilli Dip)

A mild, meaty dip of minced pork and tomatoes cooked with a dried chilli paste, eaten with crunchy raw vegetables and sticky rice.

40 min · Easy

แกง

Gaeng Hang Lay (Northern Pork Belly Curry)

A rich, Burmese-influenced curry of slow-cooked pork belly with ginger, pickled garlic, tamarind and peanuts. No coconut milk.

150 min · Medium

ย่างและทอด

Sai Oua (Northern Thai Herb Sausage)

Chiang Mai’s famous coiled pork sausage, packed with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime and dried chilli, grilled slowly over charcoal.

90 min · Medium