Andy Ricker's Naam Jim Kai (Sweet chile dipping sauce)

By
Kate Williams
Kate Itrich-Williams is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Kate Williams
Kate Itrich-Williams is a food writer, editor, and recipe developer who wrote the "Cook the Book" column for Serious Eats.
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Updated April 03, 2019
Pok Pok cover

This sweet chile dipping sauce is great on Andy Ricker's Whole Roasted Young Chicken from his new Pok Pok cookbook.

Reprinted with permission from Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand by Andy Ricker with JJ Goode. Copyright 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.

Recipe Details

Andy Ricker's Naam Jim Kai (Sweet chile dipping sauce)

Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Makes 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, preferably a Thai brand
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 21 grams fresh or drained pickled red Thai chiles, coarsely sliced
  • 1 1/4 ounces peeled garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

  1. Combine the sugar, vinegar, and water in a medium pot and set it over high heat. Bring to a vigorous simmer and cook for 10 minutes or so, whisking to help dissolve the sugar.

  2. Meanwhile, pound the chiles, garlic, and salt in a granite mortar (or pulse in a food processor) to a very coarse paste. Stir the mixture into the pot.

  3. Decrease the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until the liquid thickens slightly and becomes just slightly syrupy, 8 1o 12 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Let it cool to room temperature.

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