Sauces and Dips

Foreigners who have just come to Thailand are often baffled by the array of small bowls, each containing different colored sauces, laid out for a typical Thai meal.
At a typical Thai dinner, there are many sauces and dips on the table, sometimes they are more than the main dishes. Thais like tasty food and believe in satisfying everybody individual taste. So although the main dishes are already prepared to the cook's satisfaction, each person is still allowed leeway to season some more with a good range of sauces and dips.

1. Dry chilli powder	2. Vinegar with chilli pieces
3. Vinegar with chilli powder	4. Sugar

At a noodle shop, you may see this common scene. At each table there is a set of four containers which Thais call Khrueng Phuang or ring of spices. After being served their hot bowl of noodles, nine out of ten Thais will automatically reach out for these condiments, spoon in some fish sauce, a bit or small spoon of sugar or chili powder and toss in a small spoon of pickled chilies in vinegar all this before having had their first taste. Then, after taking a few more mouthfuls, some may continue to season a few more times during the course of the meal. And as any Thai will confirm, it is the last few mouthfuls that are indeed the most delicious. Then it's time to order another bowl and start the seasoning process all over again.
The ring of condiments which contains fish sauce, sugar, vinegar and chili powder, mirrors the four tastes that form the basis of all Thai sauces and dips. The salty flavour comes through with the use of fish sauce or soy sauce. The sour taste comes from vinegar, lime or tamarind juice. The sweetness comes from sugar. And the spicy hot comes from chilli peppers, garlic and ginger root.
Thailand has a wide variety of chilli peppers. Most commonly used are the tiny but fiery phrik khi nu, the equally potent larger phrik lueng (yellow chili) and the larger red and green varieties called phrik chi fa, which are a little milder.
Sauces and dips are an essential part of Thai cuisine as they add even more flavour to the meal. The amount to be used is determined by each individual according to his own personal preferences. Sauces and dips come in many colours and textures. Some sauces are murky, some are clear. Some are a mixture of ingredients that have been finely chopped or coarsely crushed, while others have been pounded to a uniform colour and an even, thick consistency.
Sauces:
Each sauce and dip is a delicate blend of the four main flavours with usually one of the tastes predominating. Here are the sauces and dips you will be likely to encounter and their contents:
Fish Sauce: A staple in any Thai house, this brownish liquid is made of salt and fish essence. Though it has quite strong smell, no Thai dish tastes quite right without it.
Nam Pla Phrik: Fish sauce with thinly sliced phrik khi nu and a squeeze of lime (may add sliced garlic). This sauce complements fried fish and fried rice dishes, but it is used universally as a more sophisticated substitute for plain fish sauce.
Pickled Chilli in Vinegar: Fresh green and red chilli (phrik chi fa) are sliced and pickled in clear vinegar. This is used to give noodles and congee a sharp tangy taste.
Crushed Chilli in Vinegar: Fresh chilli coarsely pounded with vinegar added. This sauce is also used with noodle dishes.
Nam Phrik Siracha: This is a thick, orange chilli sauce made from red chilli, vinegar and sugar. It can be bought in Bottles at the markets. It is used as a sauce and a dip for seafood

Ground Dried Chili Pepper Recipe

Visit any Thai noodle shops; one of the condiments on your table is ground chili pepper. The other standard condiments are fresh chili pepper pickled in vinegar, sugar and fish sauce. Ground dried chili pepper is a very versatile part of Thai cooking and you will see it in most salad dishes, like laab.
Your homemade ground chili will have a wonderful toasted aroma that can be lost in store-bought ones.
• 10-15 Dried whole chilis
Tips and Techniques
The desired color is bright red or orange. The trick to get this color is to toast the peppers without burning them. If you go over the edge, burnt pepper will make the ground pepper dark.
Use dried Thai chili peppers for maximum heat.
Toast the dried whole chili peppers with stem on in a hot pan. A cast iron pan is best for this job because it gives even heating. Use medium heat. Keep stirring to get all sides toasted evenly. When your peppers start to fragrant and turn dark, they are ready. Take extra care not to breath in deeply the hot aroma, it will burn your lungs!
Remove from heat and let them cool before grinding. When cooled, they are crunchy and easy to grind. Remove the stems and grind them in a mortar. Pound the chili peppers until fine. Once in a while, drag the pestle in a circular motion or back and forth to break up clumps. This should make about 2 tablespoons.
Keep the ground chili pepper in a jar for up to a year. After a year, it tends to lose it potency.

Nam Tok Recipe

Nam Tok translated literally is "water fall" but actually means dripping juice. The juice drips out from the steak while cooking.
Nam tok is fast and easy to make, the ingredients are easy to find and yet, the dish is full of Thai flavors. At its core, you're grilling meat without marinade, then cutting, seasoning and tossing a salad.
If you have a leftover steak that is not heavily seasoned, you can turn it into nam tok, too.
Nam tok, a northeastern dish, is served with sticky rice and fresh vegetables.
• sliced green onion
• 2 teaspoons
• 1 1/4 lime
• 1 sliced shallot
• 10 sprigs sliced spearmint
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted rice
Tips and Techniques
2-minute Toasted Rice: Toast rice (regular or sticky) in a pan over medium heat. Move the rice around constantly to prevent burning and achieve even browning. The rice should be dark brown (not burnt) in about 2 minutes. Grind the rice in mortar.
Toasted rice not only provides the nutty flavor, but also rounds the fish sauce and lime juice in.
I use 1 inch thick London broil for this dish. Leave the steak at room temperature 1 hour prior to cooking for even cooking. The charcoal should be hot with small flames and lightly covered with ash. Without covering the lid, grill the steak for 10-12 minutes, 6 minutes on one side and 4 more minutes on the other side for medium rare. Add 2 more minutes on each side for well done. I like mine medium rare. Let the steak sit on a plate while you prep the vegetables and seasoning.
Peel and slice shallot thinly. Slice green onion and mint leaves.
Slice the steak into thin slices so that the beef is tender and absorbs seasoning well. Add lime juice, shallot, green onion, mint leaves, ground chili pepper, ground toasted rice and fish sauce to the steak. Mix well. Take a taste.
The beef should be balanced by salty and sour, with the nutty flavor of toasted rice and refreshing mint flavor on every bite. Ground chili pepper at 2 teaspoons is about a comfortable level of heat for me. If you love really hot food, you might want to add more chili pepper.
Serve with sticky rice and fresh vegetables. Popular vegetables accompanying nam tohk are cabbage, green beans, dill leaves, mint, Thai basil and cucumber.