Nam chub (Thai shrimp paste relish)
Spicy, salty and the perfect accompaniment to rice, Thai relishes are a key part of the cuisine. They tend to be served with herbs or vegetables like cucumbers or long beans. Luke Farrell notes that 'this salty paste called nam chub is on every table in southern Thai khao gaeng restaurants' and explains that 'the little black dots in Thai shrimp paste are the eyes, a lot of them peppered through the paste denotes high quality.' Calamansi limes are best for this relish, but regular limes work too.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 2 tbsp of shrimp paste
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 coriander root, roughly chopped
- 4 bird's eye chillies, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp of palm sugar
- lime juice, from 2 regular limes, or at least 4 calamansi limes
- 2 tbsp of warm water
Method
Pound the shrimp paste with the salt, garlic, coriander root and chillies in a pestle and mortar. Then, add the palm sugar and pound again
- 2 tbsp of shrimp paste
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 coriander root, roughly chopped
- 4 bird's eye chillies, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp of palm sugar
Add the lime juice and warm water to combine. It should be hot, sour and salty
- lime juice, from 2 limes
- 2 tbsp of warm water
Enjoy, stirred through hot rice and with a selection of herbs and vegetables. Cucumber, celery, iceberg lettuce, radishes, Thai eggplant slices, long beans, green mango and sprigs of curry leaf all work well
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