Sweet fish sauce with tamarind
Elevate the legend of Thai snacks with “Nam Pla Wan Tamarind” (Sweet Tamarind Fish Sauce), made with authentic Mae Klong coconut sugar simmered until it reaches a thick, golden brown consistency. The flavor is enhanced with freshly squeezed tamarind juice, providing a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Packed with generous amounts of ingredients including premium dried shrimp, crispy fried shrimp, and sliced shallots, it’s further spiced up with bird’s eye chilies and fried dried chilies. The rich, aromatic fish sauce creates an irresistible taste.
- Difficulty level: Easy
- 60 minutes
Ingredient
- Basic sauce ingredients:
- Coconut sugar or palm sugar: 500 grams
- Good quality fish sauce: 3-4 tablespoons
- Concentrated tamarind juice: 2-3 tablespoons
- Good quality shrimp paste: 1 tablespoon
- Water: A small amount
- Ingredients for sweet fish sauce:
- Dried shrimp meat: 1/2 cup
- Dried shrimp: 1/4 cup
- Sliced shallots: 10-15 heads
- Chopped bird's eye chilies: 10-15 pieces
- Fried dried chilies: For garnish and to add aroma.
Detailed instructions
1. Caramelization of the Sauce
- Over low heat, add palm sugar and a little water. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and begins to bubble.
- Add the shrimp paste and stir until it dissolves completely and there are no lumps.
- Season with fish sauce and tamarind paste. Continue simmering until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky. (Test by scooping some up; if it drips slowly, it’s ready.)
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the coarsely ground dried shrimp first. To allow the shrimp’s flavor to soak into the sauce.
- Next, add the chopped shallots and chopped bird’s eye chilies. Stir well. The shallots will release some water, making the sweet fish sauce clearer and shinier.
- Turn off the heat and let the sweet fish sauce cool completely (the sauce will thicken further as it cools).
- Garnish with fried dried shrimp and fried dried chilies to maintain crispness.
- Poast the sweet fish sauce in a beautiful earthenware or ceramic bowl as shown in the picture.
- Serve with sour fruits such as unripe mango, sour mango, star fruit, or pomelo.
- Garnish the side of the plate with fresh tamarind pods and fresh paprika for decoration.
Delicious Tips (Pro-Tips)
The Perfect Viscosity: The secret lies in simmering the sugar with the tamarind paste. The tamarind juice prevents the sugar from crystallizing (returning to sugar granules) and gives the flavor a deeper taste than typical sweet fish sauce recipes that only use fish sauce and sugar.
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