Dipping Sauce for Chicken and Fried Foods (Nam Jim Gai)

January 28, 2019

Dipping Sauce for Chicken and Fried Foods (Nam Jim Gai) © kvalifood.com

Nam jim gai is the homemade version of that bottled “Sweet Chili Sauce for Chicken” you see in supermarkets. It is sweet, sour, and mildly spicy - a natural match for deep-fried foods like spring rolls, fried chicken, and anything that needs a sweet-sour counterpoint to its saltiness. Surprisingly easy to make from scratch with no additives.

Ingredients

Yields ca. 2/3 cup

3 cloves garlic
½ dl spur chilies (or red bell pepper), seeds left in, finely chopped
1-3 Thai chilies, to taste
125 ml sugar, granulated
1/2 tsp salt
½ dl vinegar
3 Tbsp water

Add-ins for serving (optional)

Peanuts, finely chopped
Cucumber, quartered and sliced
Shallot, julienned

Directions

If using a blender, combine the garlic, spur chilies, Thai chilies, sugar, salt, vinegar, and water in the blender and blend until there are no big chunks (chili seeds are fine).

If using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, spur chilies, and Thai chilies into a fine paste. Stir in the sugar, salt, vinegar, and water.

Pour the mixture into a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it has thickened and resembles a thin syrup. It will thicken further as it cools. If the cooled sauce is too thick, add a bit more water. If it is not thick enough, reduce it more.

Store in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. Reheat if desired before serving. Stir in any of the optional add-ins just before serving.

Notes

Takes about 15 minutes.

The sauce keeps for a few months in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.

Each add-in contributes something different: crushed peanuts make the dip richer, cucumber keeps things fresh and crunchy (good for heavier fried items), and shallot adds pungency.