Small Dish of Chili-Tamarind Paste
(click to enlarge)

Chili-Tamarind Paste


Thailand   -   Nam Phrik Pao
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 oz
***
45 min
Yes		 A flavorful paste essential for serveral popular Thai salads, hot-&-sour soups and stir fries. Frying the ingredients gives this paste its dark color and deep robust flavor.

1/2
16
8
12
1
3
3
1
c
cl
oz

c
T
T
T
Dried Shrimp (1)
Garlic
Shallots
Red Chili dry (2)
Oil
Tamarind paste (3)  
Palm Sugar
Fish Sauce (4)
Prep
  1. Rinse SRIMP briefly in warm water and drain thoroughly.
  2. Chop GARLIC medium.
  3. Slice SHALLOTS thin.
  4. Stem CHILIS.
  5. Make TAMARIND PASTE if you aren't using concentrate.
Run
  1. Find a stainless steel bowl or saucepan sufficient to hold the hot oil and a wire strainer. Get them ready to strain ingredients out of the oil.
  2. Heat OIL in a sauté pan and fry Garlic until just golden, then pour oil and garlic through the strainer. Put grlic in a paper towel lined bowl to drain and return oil to the pan.
  3. Reheat oil and stir in Shallots. Fry stirring until shallots begin to color. Strain out and add them to the Garlic.
  4. Reheat oil and stir in Chilis. Fry stirring until chilis darken noticeably but are not blackened (a few black spots won't hurt). Strain out and add them to the Garlic.
  5. Cool the oil quickly so some can be blended in.
  6. Put the fried ingredients in a mini-prep food processor or blender along with 1/4 cup of the oil. Process, scraping down the sides, until you have a smooth paste.
  7. Put the Paste in a small saucepan. Add Tamarind Sauce, Palm Sugar and Fish Sauce. Cook slowly stirring often until sauce darkens slightly. Cool, put up in a jar and refrigerate. It'll keep for at least 3 months.
NOTES:

  1. Shrimp, Dried:

      These can be found in markets serving East and Southeast Asian, South American, Mexican and African communities. Measure should be whole for very small ones and lightly broken up for large ones. For details see our Dried Shrimp page.

  2. Chilis:

      These should be dried Thai chilis, though de Arbols will work. If your chilis are weaker use more. For details see our Thai Chilis page.

  3. Tamarind:

      If your Tamarind is concentrate in a jar, use 3 T, or if it's block use about 3 T, soak and strain. For details see our Tamarind page.

  4. Fish Sauce:

      This clear liquid is as essential to Southeast Asian cuisine as it was to Imperial Rome. If you are unfamiliar with it, see our Fish Sauce - Introduction page.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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