© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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This sauce has several regional variations, and this recipe is for the Korat version. The two most important variations are: (a) it can be made with a mixture of fresh chopped chilis and powdered chilis, and (b) it can be made with lime juice instead of tamarind juice.
1 tablespoons prik pon (powdered red 'birdshit' chilis)
5 tablespoons nam makham piag (tamarind juice)
¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce)
3 to 4 tablespoons khao kua
1 to 2 tablespoons naam tan paep (palm sugar)
Grind dried red chilis to a fine powder, first breaking them, and shaking out and discarding any loose seeds. You will need about a cup of powdered chili (or reduce the other quantities accordingly).
Add about 1 tablespoon of khao kua to the chilis, and then add tamarind juice and fish sauce, in the proportion of three parts tamarind juice to one part fish sauce, stirring until the mixture forms a thin paste of the consistency of tomato ketchup.
Add a little palm sugar to your personal taste.
The sauce will keep for 3-4 weeks in a well stoppered container in a refrigerator.