Thai Three Taste Sauce
Makes enough for 3-4 portions
A staple in many Thai restaurants, the three tastes here are salty, sweet and sour. The saltiness comes from the fish sauce, the sweet from the palm sugar and the sourness from the tart tamarind paste. There’s also a good punch of heat from the chilli and garlic.
It is an excellent accompaniment to (fried) fish or tofu. Make a batch and if not using it all at once, divide into mini portions and freeze.
The recipe below makes the sauce which you can then add to your chosen Thai dish. Once made simply add it to the end of your cooking of your fish or tofu. Serve with rice or noodles.
- Ingredients:
- 3 chillis, roughly chopped (including seeds)
- 8 fat cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp water
- 65g palm sugar
Step 1: Begin by using a food processor to blitz the chilli and garlic into a rough paste.
Step 2: In a wok, heat the oil over a medium high heat and then stir fry the chilli-garlic paste for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until slightly thickened and the sugar fully dissolved. This may take three or four minutes. Stir frequently.
Step 4: Remove from the heat and it is now ready to use on your cooked fish or tofu, simply add for the last minute or two of cooking.
N.b. Adjust the amount of chilli depending on your tolerance.
