Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Spicy Fish Sauce)
🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 15 minutes
🍽️ Yield: About 1 1/2 cups
🍳 Category: Sauces
Description:
Nuoc Cham, a quintessential Vietnamese sauce, is a harmonious blend of spicy, savory, sweet, and sour flavors. It’s an indispensable condiment in Vietnamese cuisine, elevating dishes with its vibrant taste. This recipe yields a piquant sauce that pairs perfectly with soups, spring rolls, noodle dishes, and more. If you prefer a milder flavor, adjust the sugar to your liking and consider diluting it with a touch of water.
Ingredients:
- 2 chili peppers
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon artificial sweetener (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 cup water
Instructions:
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Prepare Ingredients: Begin by gathering the chili peppers, garlic cloves, sugar, artificial sweetener (if using), fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and water.
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Create Paste: In a mortar and pestle, mash the chili peppers, garlic, and sugar together until they form a coarse paste. This step helps to release the flavors and aromas of the ingredients, resulting in a more nuanced sauce.
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Combine Ingredients: Once the paste is formed, add the fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and water to the mortar. Alternatively, you can transfer the paste to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
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Blend Well: Using the pestle or a whisk, blend the ingredients together until they are well incorporated. Ensure that the sugar and any artificial sweetener are fully dissolved.
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Adjust to Taste: Taste the sauce and adjust the flavors as needed. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add more sugar or sweetener. For a tangier flavor, increase the amount of lime juice. You can also adjust the level of spiciness by adding more or fewer chili peppers.
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Refrigerate: Transfer the prepared Nuoc Cham to a sealable container and refrigerate it until ready to use. Chilling the sauce allows the flavors to meld and intensify, resulting in a more delicious final product.
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Serve: Nuoc Cham is ready to be served alongside your favorite Vietnamese dishes. Drizzle it over spring rolls, use it as a dipping sauce for grilled meats, or add it to soups and noodle bowls for an extra burst of flavor.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 98.6
- Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 5856.8mg
- Carbohydrates: 20.3g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Sugar: 14.7g
- Protein: 5.5g
Keywords:
Vietnamese, Asian, Low Protein, Low Cholesterol, Healthy, Spicy, Quick & Easy, No Cook, Refrigerator, Sauces
