Nam Prik Pao Recipe (Thai charred chili jam) by Chef James Syhabout

Nam prik pao, also known as Thai charred chili jam, is a fragrant, scorching-hot, sweet-sour condiment that is widely used to enhance lighter dishes like tom yam, tom kha, banana flower salad, stir-fries, and both fried and steamed rice. You should keep this ingredient on hand if you’re serious about cooking Thai food that tastes authentic. It’s essentially the secret weapon of every Thai chef.

Thai chili paste, sometimes referred to as nam prik pao, is a well-liked spice in Thai cooking. This paste’s ingredients include dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, palm sugar, fish sauce, and a variety of chili peppers. It is both hot and flavorful. To lend a distinct umami taste to stir-fries, soups, and curries, the paste is generally used as a dipping sauce. Its savory and spicy flavor profile gives a variety of foods depth and complexity. For anyone who like spicy food, nam prik pao is a must-have condiment. It may be used as a dipping sauce or added to soups and curries.

Chili peppers are nam prik pao’s primary component. The paste contains a variety of chili peppers, including dried red chili, Thai chili, and bird’s eye chili. Nam prik pao is a preferred condiment for those who like spicy meals because these chilies are renowned for their heat and spiciness. Chilies and other ingredients combine to produce a flavor that is both fiery and sweet that is layered and rich.

Recipe

Click to get Nam Prik Pao recipe by celebrity chef James Syhabout — Head chef of Commis, the only restaurant in Oakland to receive a Michelin star since 2010.

Here’s a simple recipe for making your own nam prik pao:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried whole chili peppers
• 1/4 cup garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup shrimp paste
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce

Instructions:

1. Heat a dry skillet or wok over low heat. Add the dried chili peppers and toast them, stirring occasionally, for 5–10 minutes until they are fragrant and slightly charred.
2. Remove from heat and let them cool down. Remove the stems, but keep the seeds for spiciness.
3. In a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind the chili peppers, garlic, and shallots into a coarse paste.
4. In a small skillet, heat the shrimp paste until it turns slightly brown and fragrant.
5. Add the shrimp paste, palm sugar, tamarind paste, and fish sauce to the chili paste and mix well.
6. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the paste is slightly thickened, about 5–10 minutes.
7. Let the nam prik pao cool down before storing it in a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. It can be refrigerated for up to a month or frozen for longer storage.