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Sauce recipe

Nam Jim Jaew

The smoky, sour Thai dipping sauce for grilled meat. Toasted rice powder is the whole trick.

Makes
About 200ml
Ready in (mins)
20
Keeps
5 days in the fridge, without the herbs
Nam Jim Jaew

Nam jim jaew is what comes alongside grilled pork neck and sticky rice in Isaan. Sour, salty, hot, and given body by khao khua — raw rice toasted in a dry pan and ground.

Skip the toasted rice and you have a thin fish sauce dressing. Include it and the sauce clings to meat and smells faintly of popcorn. It takes five minutes and it is not optional.

How to make it
  1. Toast the raw rice in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, shaking often, until deep golden and nutty. Do not rush this.
  2. Cool, then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar or spice grinder. You want sand, not flour.
  3. Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind and palm sugar together until the sugar dissolves.
  4. Stir in the chilli flakes and 2 tbsp of the toasted rice powder.
  5. Let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
  6. Fold through the spring onion and herbs just before serving, or they will wilt.
The ratio
  • 3 partsFish sauce
  • 3 partsLime juice
  • 1 partTamarind
  • 1 partToasted rice powder
What you need
  • 2 tbsp uncooked jasmine or glutinous rice
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 2 tsp palm sugar, grated
  • 1–2 tbsp Thai chilli flakes, to taste
  • 3 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 small handful coriander, chopped
  • 1 small handful mint, torn
What to put it on

Grilled pork neck, beef skewers, sticky rice, barbecued chicken, grilled mushrooms, and spooned over a plain rice bowl.