Nam Prik Ong, Northern Thai Tomato and Tempeh Relish
Nam prik ong is the tomato-red chile relish of Northern Thailand, usually built on minced pork and served as the communal dip at the center of the table. This version keeps the aromatic pounded paste and the long simmer but leans on crumbled tempeh and toasted tomato paste for the savory body, with dates and tamarind standing in for the palm sugar and fermented fish that would normally round it out. It is meant to be eaten in small amounts with a large pile of raw vegetables, so the heat and depth of the dip carry the whole plate.
Ingredients
- 4 Dried Thai chiles, stems removed, soaked in hot water 15 minutes, then drained
- 3 Shallots, peeled
- 5 cloves Garlic, peeled
- 1 stalk Lemongrass, tender core only, minced
- 1 tbsp Galangal, minced
- 6 oz Tempeh, steamed 10 minutes, then finely crumbled
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 3 Fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Low-sodium tamari
- 1 tsp Tamarind paste
- 1 Medjool date, pitted and mashed to a paste
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1 Cucumber, cut into spears, to serve
- 2 cups green cabbage, cut into wedges, to serve
Method
- Pound the soaked chiles, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and galangal into a rough paste in a mortar, or pulse them in a small processor with a splash of the chile soaking water. This aromatic paste is the backbone of any nam prik, and grinding it releases far more perfume than chopping does.
- Set a dry pan over medium heat and toast the tomato paste alone for 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens to brick red. Toasting drives off the tinny raw taste and builds the deep savory base that stands in for the pork fat of the traditional version.
- Add the chile paste and crumbled tempeh with 0.5 cup (120 ml) water. Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until the tempeh takes on the color of the paste. Steamed and crumbled tempeh is the plant stand-in for the minced pork here: it is nutty, holds texture, and drinks up the aromatics.
- Stir in the fresh tomatoes, tamari, tamarind, and date paste. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, mashing the tomatoes as they break down, until the mixture reduces to a thick, jammy, spoonable relish. The tomato sourness and the date sweetness together balance the fermented depth that shrimp or bean paste would normally bring.
- Kill the heat and fold in the cilantro. Let the relish cool to warm or room temperature, where its flavor rounds out. Serve it in a bowl with the cucumber spears and cabbage wedges alongside for scooping, the way nam prik is always eaten, as the hot salty center of a plate of cool raw vegetables.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 100 calories, 6 g protein, 4 g fiber, 130 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.
