Thai Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce (Nam Pla Wan)
Craving a mid-afternoon pick-me-up? Try this bold Thai Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce (Nam Pla Wan) — sweet, spicy, and savory in every bite. Warning: once you start, you won’t stop!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 1 serving
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/3 cup shallot, chopped small
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce. Some brands are saltier than others. Adjust as needed towards the end with more, if necessary
- 1/4 cup water
- ½ cup palm sugar, roughly shaved into thin layers
- 1-3 tablespoons ground chili flakes. (I used 1 ½ tablespoons) The more you add, the spicier it is!
- 3-5 fresh Thai chilis, chopped into small pieces (Completely optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat a small saucepan on medium-low heat and add fish sauce, water, and palm sugar. Stir together with a whisk.
- 2
After the sugar dissolves, add the dried shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp is slightly soft.
- 3
Add the shallot and chili flakes, and whisk together often until the shallot is soft and caramelized for about 2 minutes.
- 4
Stir with a whisk and cooking until the sauce thickens and golden brown. Add additional fresh chilis if desired for EXTRA spiciness. This is completely optional.
- 5
Turn off the heat, and remove the beautiful golden brown sauce into a small bowl. Set it over a cooking wire rack to protect your counter. Let cool completely before serving.
- 6
While the sauce is cooling, prepare your fruit to use for dipping. Cut the fruit of choice to the size and shape of a spoon to use as dipping pieces for the sauce.