Nam Prik Kapi
Many of you may or may not have heard of Nam Prik Kapi. I was introduced to this funky Thai spicy shrimp paste dip years ago so I thought I would share it with you. Some of these ingredients may be foreign to you, especially the Thai shrimp paste (and trust me this stuff is funky but awesome).
The ingredients are minimal, but the flavor impact is something out of this world. A pestle and mortar works best for this, and I have not tried using a food processor, but feel free if you decide to make this recipe.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
- 15-20 Thai bird chili peppers, stems removed
- 1 head of garlic, skin removed
- 3 limes, juiced
- 2Â tbsp palm sugar (or light brown sugar if you do not have any)
- 3 tbsp Thai shrimp paste
- 2 whole shallots, skins removed, lightly chopped
As with many Thai dishes, you need to balance out the sour, spice, and bitterness. This one uses 20 Thai chilies, which if you can imagine is going to make it pretty spicy, but that’s how I like it. The goal here is to come up with a light and loose paste, nothing majorly thick.
Start by pounding your garlic, chilies, and shallots in a mortar and pestle. Your goal is to make a paste. This is the labor intensive part, as it takes about 10-15 minutes and will use some arm strength. Once you have a paste, add the shrimp paste and palm sugar, and continue pounding. I find it best to use a spoon along with the pestle to lift from the bottom and keep pounding.
The final step is to add the juice of the limes. Add enough lime juice to ensure a loose paste. Add more lime juice if you have to.
Now taste and adjust. It will be spicy. It will be tangy. It will be a bit funky.
Serve this alongside fried fish, omelettes, or lightly steamed vegetables. This stores nicely as well, and a little goes a long way. If you are looking for something new to try, give this one a shot. It’s probably one of Thai’s more famous dipping sauces. Hope you enjoy!