Prik Nam Pla | Thai Chilli Fish Sauce

Vijitha Mammen

3 years ago

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Every table at a Thai restaurant has a set of classic condiments kept for diners to customize their food according to their preferred tastes. One of those condiments is almost always ‘Prik Nam Pla’. This traditional Thai sauce has the super power to perk up both simple as well as fancy meals.

Ingredients

‘Prik’ means chilli and ‘nam pla’ means fish sauce. As the name suggests, this condiment is basically just chopped Thai chillies in fish sauce. It is salty and may or may not be very spicy depending on the number of chillies you use. This post is only intended as a rough guide on how to make Prik Nam Pla. Feel free to adjust ingredients according to your taste.

I like to keep it simple as I feel too many ingredients mask the flavors of the main dish. But, some people like to add more than just fish sauce and chillies. So, I’m also including a list of some optional ingredients so that you can try different variations if you’d like.

Fish Sauce

The umami and depth of flavor from fish sauce are what make this seasoning a perfect accompaniment to most Thai dishes. I usually try to include substitutes, but in this particular recipe, I won’t. It just has to be fish sauce! None of the usual replacements like oyster sauce, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, etc would do justice. I have seen some vegan fish sauces on Amazon these days, but I haven’t tried them myself, so I can’t vouch for them yet.

If the fish sauce you are using is too salty for your taste, add some water and/or sugar to bring it down to your preferred salt level.

Thai Chillies

Authentic Prik Nam Pla is made of Bird’s eye chillies – a kind of chilli pepper that is small but very hot (around 50,000 – 100,000 Scoville units). Although used in many parts of the world like Africa, South Asia and South East Asia, these chillies are most popularly known as ‘Thai chillies’.

You can use Thai chillies of any color – red, green or white (yes, there is a white variety as well!). If you want to reduce the heat, use fewer number of chillies or substitute with a milder variety of chilli pepper.

Optional Ingredients for variations

In addition to fish sauce and freshly chopped chillies, some people also like to add one or more of the following:

Lime: Squeeze in fresh lime juice to add a tinge of tanginess to the sauce. Some simply add a piece of lime to the sauce for flavor infusion.
Vinegar: This is another ingredient that you can use if you want to add a sour element to the sauce, but don’t have lime or lemon in hand. Rice vinegar would be better, but if you don’t have it, distilled white vinegar will do. Start with half teaspoon, and increase to preferred taste.
Garlic: Simply slice peeled garlic cloves and add to the sauce for extra sharpness.
Cilantro leaves: Chop washed cilantro leaves and throw them into the sauce.
Shallots: Some people also add sliced or minced shallots for a subtle sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness.
Sugar: If you like the sauce to be slightly sweet, add a little palm sugar, or brown or white sugar as well. Always start with a small quantity and adjust to taste.

When I make this sauce at home, I usually don’t add garlic, shallots or cilantro because I prefer keeping my Prik Nam Pla simple. But I do add juice from lime or lemon because I feel it’s a milder addition and love the slight citrussy lift it gives to the overall flavor of the sauce. I don’t like my sauce sweet, so I mostly don’t add sugar. However, if I happen to use a brand of fish sauce that makes this condiment saltier than I would like, I add a wee bit of sugar – just enough to balance the saltiness.

How long does Prik Nam Pla keep?

It is best to prepare this sauce on the day you wish to serve. Some people like to make it just before serving. I like to let it sit for at least half an hour for the the fish sauce to be infused with the spiciness of the chillies. To prepare ahead and store, refrigerate and use within 3 days.

If you are adding garlic or shallots, remember that the shelf life will be shorter. If not stored properly, garlic can cause botulism.

What is the best brand of fish sauce to buy?

To make this sauce just like the Thais, it is best to use Thai fish sauce. However, I have also used fish sauce from Vietnam and Philippines successfully. My favorite brands of fish sauce are: Red Boat, Squid brand and Thai Kitchen.

What do you serve Prik Nam Pla with?

One of my favorite Thai dishes to have with this sauce is a simple and quick fried rice – it takes me back to street food memories from my lovely trip to Thailand!

Drizzle this sauce on noodles, fried rice or plain jasmine rice to liven them. Use it as a dipping sauce with grilled meat and seafood, Thai fish cakes, spring rolls, gyoza, sushi and dumplings. When you want a quick meal or have run out of side dishes, a plate of jasmine rice with fried egg and seasoned with prik nam pla would feel like a treat!

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