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–+ servings
Holding a spoonful of crack sauce.
5 from 2 votes

Crack Sauce (Prik Nam Pla)

Thai crack sauce or prik nam pla is an all-purpose sauce that tastes addictively delicious on practically everything! It's savory, tangy, sweet, spicy and packed with umami. Prik nam pla is super easy to throw together and perfect for anything from dipping spring rolls or adding to fried rice. For a more mellow version, try nuoc cham, Vietnamese dipping sauce, which is also very versatile.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings (makes about ⅓ cup)

Ingredients
 

  • 3 cloves garlic cut into smaller chunks
  • ¼ piece shallot peeled and cut into ¼ inch chucks
  • 1-3 bird's eye chili cut into ¼ inch pieces (more or less to your spice preferences)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice about 1 lime per TBSP
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

  • Place the garlic, shallot, and chili peppers into a mortar and pestle and grind into a rough, chunky paste.
    Note: the finer the paste, the thicker the sauce will be.
  • To the paste, add fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Optionally, stir in the finely chopped cilantro.
  • Enjoy the sauce with with any protein, appetizers like spring rolls, or add to any dish that needs some extra love!
    If you have time, let the sauce sit for a couple of hours in the fridge to allow the flavors to marry. But freshly made sauce is perfectly fine for using as well. It'll just have a bit more punch.

Notes

Please refer to the post above for step by step photo references!
  • Mortar and pestle alternative - If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a food process to chop up the garlic, shallot, and peppers. Or you can mince everything by hand! Grinding with a mortar and pestle is more traditional and helps to release more flavor from the aromatics and peppers.
  • Shallot - If you prefer, you can substitute the shallot for an extra clove of garlic.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 17.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.6g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 472.2mg | Potassium: 57.5mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2.8g | Vitamin A: 83.8IU | Vitamin C: 12.9mg | Calcium: 7.5mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Keywords: all purpose, dipping sauce
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