← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 10 large mild green chillies (prik noom, Anaheim or banana peppers)
• 6 cloves garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 6 shallots, unpeeled
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce (optional)
• 2 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• cucumber, long beans and other raw or steamed vegetables, to serve

Method

1. Thread the chillies, garlic and shallots onto skewers, or lay them in a dry grill pan.
2. Grill over medium heat for 15–20 min, turning, until blackened and blistered all over and soft inside. The garlic and shallots may need a few minutes longer.
3. Put the chillies in a covered bowl for 5 min to steam, then peel off most of the charred skin. Peel the garlic and shallots.
4. Pound the garlic, shallots and salt in a mortar into a coarse paste, then add the chillies and pound until stringy and roughly mashed.
5. Taste and add lime juice (and fish sauce if you’re not keeping it vegan). Stir in the coriander and serve warm or at room temperature with vegetables and sticky rice.

Tips

• A few charred bits of skin add smokiness, so don’t peel them too perfectly.
• Fish sauce or pla ra is traditional in many homes; if you add it, the dip is no longer vegan or vegetarian.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hungry in Thailand Rachel Cooks Thai Simply Suwanee