Nam Jim – Thai Dipping Sauce
Spice Spice Baby
What is Nam Jim Thai Dipping Sauce?
Tangy and Spicy, Nam Jim is a Thai dipping sauce made of fish sauce, chilli, lime and sugar. It can be poured over meats, used as a dipping sauce for seafood or as a salad dressing. (See our recipe for Thai Green Mango Salad here.) It goes with everything!
You’ll love it if…
You love Thai flavours, and want a really zesty, fiery, tangy dipping sauce or dressing. It’s so easy to make too! Just bish-bash-bosh and you’re done.
You know that super popular, pretty girl who you were jealous of in High School? You know the one who was good at everything and on top of it all, was too nice to hate. But yet, you still managed to hate her, because nobody should be that flawless?
Nam Jim is that popular girl. She’s got it all. She’s sweet, salty, spicy and beautifully umami. She gets on with everyone – meats, seafood, vegetables. I mean, really, how can anything be that perfect?
I’m a huge fan of Thai food and Nam Jim embodies the best of all the flavours. I love it so much, I could literally eat this with a spoon – but Nelson makes it really hot and I would be crying happy, spicy tears if I ate it straight up (you can adjust the level of spiciness to your preference). Luckily I don’t have to eat it by itself, because Nam Jim goes well with every meat under the sun, especially grilled meats, and also with seafood. You can even use it as a salad dressing. It comes together really quickly too – no mixing, just get out a mortar and pestle if you have one – or blitz it in a food processor.
You know the worst part? Now that she’s grown up, your frenemy – the popular girl from high school somehow doesn’t even have crippling anxiety. The world is not fair. But having this little Nam Jim recipe up your sleeve somehow makes the world a little fairer.
Grind Your Dry Ingredients
In a mortar and pestle pound together chilli, garlic, sugar, pepper and coriander.
Mix your Wet Ingredients
Mix in the fish sauce, lime juice and tamarind sauce. You’re done!
Serve and Enjoy!
Use it as a dipping sauce for meats, seafood or tofu, or toss it into a Thai salad.
- If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a rolling pin and a sturdy bowl, a food processor, or a spice grinder. You could also just chop the ingredients really finely.
- If you want to make a vegan version, substitute fish sauce with Tamari (a Japanese sauce made from soy and rice). See FAQs at the end of the Recipe.
Nam Jim – Thai Dipping Sauce
Equipment
- Mortar and Pestle * if you don't have one, you can use a rolling pin and a sturdy bowl, a food processor, or a spice grinder.
Ingredients
- 3 Birds Eye chilli or adjust according to desired spice levels
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar *you can substitute with brown sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Ground black pepper to taste
Optional
- 1 teaspoon tamarind sauce
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle pound together 3 birds eye chillies (or adjust according to taste), 6 cloves peeled garlic, 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar / if using honey add in the next step), 1 tablespoon coriander and .ground black pepper to taste.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon tamarind sauce, if using. You're done!
- Serve with Grilled Mixed meats, seafood, tofu, or use as a salad dressing in our Thai Green Mango Salad.
Notes
FAQ
Nam Jim is a Thai term for dipping sauces, encompassing various types tailored for specific dishes. This Nam Jim recipe is a spicy, tangy and garlicky sauce which you can use poured over meats, eaten with seafood or used as a salad dressing like in this Thai Green Mango Salad
The spiciness of Nam Jim can vary based on the type and amount of chillies used. For a milder sauce, reduce the quantity of chilli flakes or use milder chillies. Conversely, for more heat, increase the chilli content. Adjusting the spice level allows you to tailor the sauce to your taste preferences.
If stored in an airtight container, Nam Jim can last up to a week in the fridge.
To make it vegan, use Tamari instead of Fish Sauce. Tamari is a Japanese sauce made from soy and rice – you can find it readily available in the Asian section of the supermarket.
Hi! Can I use Tamarind paste instead of Tamarind sauce? or even fresh Tamarind?? Also can this be frozen to improve shelf life?
Yes you can use tamarind paste, sauce or fresh tamarind. If you’re using fresh tamarind you’ll need to soak it in hot water so it loosens and then you can mix it into a paste.
Yes you can freeze it, it will last for a week in the fridge without freezing it. Hope that helps!