Vietnamese Dipping Sauce Nuoc Cham
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
1 serrano chili or chili garlic sauce
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons finely shredded carrots for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Cut the chilis into thin rings. Remove one-third of the chilis and set aside for garnish. Place the remaining chilis, garlic and sugar in a mortar and pound into a course, wet paste. (If you don’t have a mortar, just chop with a knife or smash with a back of a spoon)
Transfer to a small bowl and add the water, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir well to dissolve. Add the reserved chilies and carrots. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
It will keep up to two weeks, but nuoc cham is best when freshly made.
