How to Make Vegetarian Nam Prik Pao (Thai Chili Paste)
A vegetarian version of the flavorful, spicy, sweet Thai Chili Paste called Nam Prik Pao. Makes an amazing stir-fry, but is great for dipping vegetables and crackers as well.
Servings: 3 cups
Cost: $4.00
Equipment
- Half Sheet Pan
- Food Processor
- Large Skillet
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 20 dried New Mexico Chilis (see note)
- 14 small Shallots, peeled 113 grams (see note)
- 20 cloves Garlic, peeled 57 grams (see note)
- 6 Tablespoons Cooking Oil, divided (any neutral-tasting oil will work)
- 10 / 2 ounces dried Shiitake Mushrooms 57 grams
- 6 Tablespoons Tamarind Paste (click here for everything you need to know about this)
- 4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 50 grams (use the same weight of palm sugar if you can find it)
- 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (sub fish sauce if you eat fish; sub Tamari if gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup Water, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F / 177 C degrees. Lightly spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray or brush with a small amount of oil. (Note: I previously always roasted the chilis and aromatics on a cooling rack over a sheet pan to increase air circulation while they roast as shown in the photos above. I no longer find it necessary to do this, and prefer to roast the ingredients directly on a sheet pan to save a step. I find the results to be very similar.)
- Rinse the chilis under water to clean (no need to soak them). Use kitchen scissors to cut off and discard the stems. Shake out seeds to achieve your desired level of spice. (Note: If you leave all the seeds in, you will have a very spicy Nam Prik Pao, and if you remove nearly all the seeds it will barely be spicy at all. If you are hesitant about spice, remove as many seeds as you can the first time you make this. You can always set the seeds aside and add them back in during the final step.)
- Toss chilis, shallots, and garlic cloves with 2 Tbsp oil. Spread out on sheet pan.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast until the chilis start to char and blacken in spots, 8 to 10 minutes, turning everything with a flat spatula halfway through cooking.
- When chilis are charred, remove them from the sheet pan. Return the shallots and garlic to the oven and continue roasting until golden and tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms under tap water (no need to soak them).
- In the bowl of a food processor combine the chilis, shallots, garlic, shiitakes, tamarind paste, brown sugar, soy sauce, and 1/2 cup water. Turn the machine on and blend until smooth, adding additional water to create a thick paste.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 Tbsp oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add chili paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste becomes fragrant and turns dark, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Taste the paste and add additional sugar or soy sauce, if needed to reach your desired balance of sweet / salty. If you reserved some of the chili seeds, you can add them back in and cook for a few minutes longer to increase the spice level.
- Transfer to containers and refrigerate. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Notes
Dried New Mexico Chilis are widely available in the United States and work great in this dish. They are usually about 6 inches / 15 cm in length and have a deep red color. You can certainly use any other dried chili, including dried Thai Chilis to make this, but make sure that they are large chilis of the dimensions above (not the small, super spicy Thai chilis often called "Bird's Eye chilis").
Shallots and Garlic - Thai shallots and garlic cloves tend to be much smaller than the variety we find in U.S. or other Western grocery stores. If using larger garlic or shallots, it's a great idea to measure these by weight to balance the flavors in the chili paste.
Nutrition
Calories: 938kcal | Carbohydrates: 170g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1401mg | Potassium: 3317mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 2866IU | Vitamin C: 439mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 7mg