Sweet and Sour Sauce (Sốt chua ngọt)

June 3, 2023

Sweet and Sour Sauce (Sốt chua ngọt) © kvalifood.com

A Vietnamese sweet and sour dipping sauce - lighter and sharper than the Chinese-American version you might be used to. It’s based on lime juice and fish sauce rather than ketchup and vinegar, with pounded chilli and garlic for heat. The added water keeps it thin enough to use as a dressing or dipping sauce.

Ingredients

3 tbsp water
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp mild red chilli and garlic, pounded

Directions

Combine the water, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and pounded chilli and garlic in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.

Notes

The water makes this thinner and milder than the magic sauce or boiled meat dressing - it’s meant to be spooned more generously over food.
Works well with fried spring rolls, grilled meats, or as a salad dressing.