Nam Phrik Kha, Northern Thai Galangal Chile Dip
Nam phrik kha is a chile dip from the North of Thailand, built not on the usual shrimp paste but on galangal, the pine-and-citrus rhizome that gives the dip its name (kha). It is traditionally pounded with dry-roasted garlic, shallots, and toasted dried chiles, then seasoned with tua nao, a fermented soybean disk that carries the salt and funk. Tua nao is hard to find outside Thailand, so a spoonful of white miso does the same job and keeps the dip coconut-free and nearly saltless. Everything is roasted dry in a hot pan, so there is no oil, and the heat of the chiles and the sharpness of the galangal carry the flavor. Serve it the way it is eaten in Chiang Mai, as the center of a plate of steamed vegetables and mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Galangal, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 wholes Dried Thai chile
- 6 cloves Garlic, unpeeled
- 3 wholes Shallots, unpeeled
- 1 tbsp White miso
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Method
- Set a dry skillet over medium heat and roast the unpeeled garlic and shallots, turning, until the skins blacken in spots and the insides soften, about 10 minutes. This slow dry-roast is what a Northern Thai kitchen does with these aromatics, and it builds the smoky sweetness that stands in for the oil the dip never sees.
- Push them aside and toast the dried chiles in the same pan for 30 to 60 seconds, just until they darken and smell toasty. Do not lean over the pan and breathe in, the toasting chiles will catch in your throat. Toasting deepens their flavor from sharp to round.
- Peel the roasted garlic and shallots. Pound the galangal first in a mortar with the toasted chiles until it breaks down into fibers, since galangal is woody and needs the most work, then add the garlic and shallots and pound to a coarse paste. No mortar is fine, pulse everything in a small food processor and keep it rough.
- Work in the white miso and a squeeze of lime. Miso stands in for tua nao, the dried fermented soybean disk that gives this dip its salty, funky backbone, and it is the one salted thing here, so add it a little at a time and taste. Stir in the cilantro.
- Serve at room temperature as a dip, with steamed cabbage, long beans, mushrooms, and sliced cucumber to scoop it up. It keeps several days in the fridge and the flavor settles as it sits.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 40 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber, 150 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
