Midweek gems #66: Nampla Prik, the 1-minute Thai wonder sauce

Hello there,
I have a knack for saying things that many people think and few dare to voice openly. Airing dirty laundry has gotten me in trouble a few times with my family but in the past week, in talking to people about Cooking Thai, I’ve had private conversations with folks who quietly say, “You know, such and such Thai restaurant is not very good.” My sister Linh and I have the same conversation about Vietnamese restaurants.
So I have to admit to you that a lot of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are not great. Many offer the same menus and flavors. To borrow from the New York Times food critic Ligaya Mishan, “We’re in an epidemic of sameness.”
I empathize with the restauranteurs.
If you’re a Viet or Thai restaurant owner, you’ve got financial goals to meet and are looking to fill seats and sell food. You cannot afford to spend too much time to labor to make food that’s going to be as good as homemade. You’ve got to cater to a broad swath of customers. As a result, your menu may be huge and your flavors can easily become diluted.
But, you as the diner — if you’re armed with cooking knowledge, you can make good food yourself to satisfy your palate, save money, and learn. Perhaps you’ll eventually engage with local restaurant owners so they know you have a high level of appreciation of their craft. Maybe they’ll feel more open to try new dishes and offer bolder flavors.
Cooking at home and eating out are not mutually exclusive. I love the healthy and relaxed aspects of home cooking but I want someone else to plan my meal and wash the dishes once in a while!
So, that’s why I write cookbooks and teach cooking — so you can understand how foods are prepared, make them yourself, and be a more informed diner! It’s a Nguyen-win if all that happens. A girl has to maintain and manifest her dreams!
💎 Nampla prik — a 1 minute Thai Wonder Sauce
A few months ago, someone asked about nampla prik, whether or not Pim had a recipe for it. Yes she does, and it’s tucked away in a recipe Note (always read recipe endnotes in the book to unmask little hidden gems!).
Nampla prik literally means fish sauce with chilies spiked with lime juice. I’d had it before at restaurants where it was lackluster, but Pim adds thinly sliced shallot and the sauce dazzles with complex flavor. You can have it as you like — with or without chilies — as much as you like, sometimes with garlic. Add extra lime juice to boost the tanginess for your taste.
How does Thai nampla prik compare to Viet nuoc cham?
Nampla prik is more intensely tart, salty, spicy and pungent. There’s no sugar and no water involved like what’s in my nuoc cham recipes. Also, nampla prik is enjoyed in relatively small, yet potent, quantities. You stir together it together and serve with a small spoon like you see in these photos from Cooking Thai.
Nampla prik isn’t super multipurpose like nuoc cham. In the book, we present it as a Thai “serving sauce” to accompany dishes like the holy basil stir-fries, salted egg yolk-shrimp fried rice and northern curry and mushroom fried rice. But ubiquitous holy basil stir fries (pad gaprao) can be made with practically any kind of meat or tofu so you’re apt to see the same sauce on many tables.
How to make Pim’s nampla prik
Nampla prik brightens and enlivens anything it touches. Use a small spoon to sprinkle the sauce onto your food at the table.
In a small bowl, mix together 1½ Tbsp lime juice, 1½ Tbsp fish sauce (or Thai thin soy sauce), and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Thai chilies. If you like, stir in 1 Tbsp very thinly sliced shallot. Makes about 1/4 cup to serve 4.
I always pack my tablespoon with the shallot because it tastes really good after sitting in the lime juice and fish sauce. For a primer on Thai fish sauce, check page 22 of the book or visit this page on my website for a 🆓 guide to salty, spicy Thai condiments and seasonings.
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💎 Take this life expectancy quiz. I got an “F”.
Getting only four out of ten questions right underscored the marvelous facts I didn’t know about living longer! Rory happily said that he may live past 100 so I better get ready to take care of him in his dotage. 🫡
Take the life expectancy quiz via my free gift link. You may have to click through some pitch to subscribe but you should get there. There are good explainers and statistics at the end.
💎 Coming up . . .
In this coming Sunday Special, you’ll see some easy, light recipes that have recently impressed me more than I expected.

