I love my food very spicy and I’m very generous with all things chili. People like me who also enjoy spicy food, in part, love it because It’s truly a food & mood issue. Chilies are known to boost endorphin levels in the body and that makes us feel better. Maybe that’s the reason why marketers get my immediate attention simply with red packaging and the naughty smile of the devil holding to the brand name logo of their products.
Thai people are using the same tactics in naming their fiery relishes; “Red eyes chili relish” for the beginners and “chili relish from hell” that would probably grab your attention, the chili pepper addict, rather than actually send you for a visit… While this dish is very spicy, by no means expect a heatwave that will leave your palate in a complete state of numbness. This relish has a wonderful combination of different tastes and aromas all sensationally and simultaneously working together on different parts of your palate. Like magic, saltiness with a cloud of heat will mature in your mouth and dissolve into a full-body smoked after-taste with notes of both sour and sweetness.
I love it! I love it as it is, simply mixed with steamy white rice or dipped with a ball of sticky rice. I sometimes also use it in fried rice dishes together with pork or chicken. I am using here the very aromatic, the very peppery, the wicked and naughty Karen Chilies (phrik gariiang ; พริกกะเหรี่ยง), which is hand-picked from the jungle edges by the Karen people and has the reputation of being one of Thailand’s most aromatic and hottest chili. For the dry fish, I recently came across a vendor that produces excellent smoked dried fish products, and to my delight, I found she is carrying also the not-so-common wallago catfish. So If you ever find yourself heading west towards Sangkhlaburi city, make sure to stop at this roadside shop! It is located on the main road, near the banks of khao laem lake (N15°02.440 E098°34.965) You, the dear reader, can safely use dried bird’s eye chilies which will work just as well, like any other kind of smoked and dried freshwater fish you can find at your local Asian market. So if you are looking for some serious and truly Thai endorphin rush leave the name-brand relishes on the grocery store shelf and impress yourself with this recipe. Oh, and lastly, if you ever wondered, in the pictures below I am preparing a 4kg batch! That’s to explain the quantities….
Devil’s Chili Relish of Smoked Dried Wallago Catfish Recipeสูตรทำน้ำพริกนรกปลาคังกรอบรมควัน
Hanuman from Thaifoodmaster
This relish has a wonderful combination of different tastes and aromas all sensationally and simultaneously working together on different parts of your palate.
Roast the dry chilies over very low flame, stir constantly for even roasting. นำพริกแห้งมาคั่วให้กรอบโดยใช้ไฟอ่อน
Be careful not to burn the chilies, what we are looking for is a yellowish tint at which stage the chilies are crispy and very aromatic. ระวังอย่าให้พริกไหม้เพราะจะทำให้มีรสขม
Ground the chilies in a pestle and mortar or a food processor. Set aside. ป่นพริกที่คั่วมาให้ละเอียด เสร็จแล้วพักเอาไว้
Place the catfish over the charcoal grill, if flames burst than your grill is probably too hot. Place some ash over the charcoals or wait for a while before continuing. นำปลาคังมาย่างบนเตาถ่านโดยใช้ไฟอ่อน
Slowly roast the dry fish until golden and crispy. ย่างจนเนื้อปลากรอบ
With your fingers break the fish meat into small chunks. แกะเอาแต่เนื้อปลา
In a pestle and mortar pound the fish meat fine and set aside. นำเนื้อปลาที่ได้มาลงไปโขลกให้ละเอียด เสร็จแล้วพักเอาไว้
Wrap the shrimp paste with banana leaf and roast over charcoal grill on low heat until fragrant. Set aside. นำกะปิมาห่อด้วยใบตอง แล้วนำไปเผาไฟจนสุกหอม เสร็จแล้วพักเอาไว้
Wrap tamarind flesh after the seeds have been removed with banana leaf. นำเนื้อมะขามเปียกห่อด้วยใบตอง
Grill on low heat until the banana leaf slightly burn. นำไปเผาไฟจนใบตองไหม้เล็กน้อย
The tamarind would become stickier and much sourer. The reason of roasting the tamarind is to reduce its water content which will allow the finished product to store unspoiled for longer period. การเผามะขามเปียกจะทำให้เนื้อมะขามเปียกมีความเหนียวมากขึ้น และ ทำให้เก็บได้นานขึ้น
With a heavy knife chop the roasted tamarind into a paste. if the tamarind gets stuck to the knife while chopping you should wet the knife. Set the roasted tamarind paste aside. นำเนื้อมะขามเปียกเผาที่ได้มาสับ (เวลาสับเนื้อมะขามเปียก ถ้ามะขามติดมีด ให้นำมีดไปจมในน้ำเปล่าก่อนจะช่วยทำให้สับได้ง่ายขึ้น) เสร็จแล้วพักเอาไว้
Roast unpeeled garlic over low heat until slightly charred. นำกระเทียมไปเผา
Peel the garlic. ปอกเปลือกกระเทียมออก
Roast unpeeled shallots over low heat until soft and slightly charred. นำหอมแดงไปเผาจนสุก
Peel the shallots. แกะเปลือกออก
In a pestle and mortar pound the roasted garlic together with the roasted shallots to a fine paste. Set aside. นำกระเทียมเผาและหอมเผาลงไปโขลกในครกให้ละเอียด เสร็จแล้วพักเอาไว้
In this picture you can see all the ingredients we prepared, we will combine the ingredients in batches depends on the size of your pestle and mortar. จะได้วัตถุดิบทั้งหมด ก่อนที่จะผสมเป็นน้ำพริกนรก
Mix pounded dry fish and ground chili. นำปลาป่น และ พริกป่น ลงไปโขลกรวมกัน
Add roasted shallots and garlic paste. ใส่กระเทียมและหอมเผาที่บดมาแล้วลงไป
Season with palm sugar and salt. ปรุงรสด้วย น้ำตาลมะพร้าว และ เกลือ
Mix well. โขลกทั้งหมดให้เข้ากันดี
Taste and adjust flavors with fish sauce. ชิมและปรุงรสด้วยน้ำปลา
Mix well and repeat the mixing process in batches. โขลกส่วนผสมทั้งหมดให้เข้ากันดี
Transfer the mix into a dry wok, and over low heat slowly roast it while making sure to mix it constantly. นำน้ำพริกที่ได้มาไปคั่วด้วยไฟอ่อน ๆ และ หมั่นคนเรื่อย ๆ
Roast until almost dry and all the flavors melt together. Allow to cool completely before storing. ผัดน้ำพริกให้พอแห้ง อย่าให้แห้งมาก
Serve. เสริฟ
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This dish (Khao Soi Recipe) takes us back in time to the mid-19th century. The trade caravans were trailing the jungles of northern Thailand along the ancient routes between India and China. Those long caravans were carrying wealth of exotic goods, leaving rich aroma of spices and the sweet scent of opium as they passed.
The men on this long line of between fifty and one hundred mules would be Yunnanese Muslim Chinese, who dominated the trade routes and began to settle in Chiang Mai and the main towns of north Thailand at that time.
It will not be an overstatement to say that banana trees accompany Thai people from their birth to the afterlife. Starting with the decorative objects made out of banana leaves newborns receive to invite protective spirits, and continues their entire life with the endless uses for banana leaves, trunks and fruits; finally ending with the female spirit ghost, maae praai taanee (แม่พรายตานี), who resides in banana trees and Thai beliefs.
The sweet leading sour coconut cream based sauce, enriched and thickened with fragrant freshly roasted peanuts and golden beans are a wonderful coat to dress the sweet shrimp meat. The aromatics are being extracted in every possible way, by roasting, and frying, boiling and reducing, pounding and grounding. All the culinary methods are being fully employed to guarantee an absolute real first class dish.
If you want to start some real Thai cooking going at your home, have the time and access to all the ingredients, than I really want you to try this dish. The building blocks of flavors work so well here and it will open you a great window to see the beginning of what is possible in Thai cuisine.
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Practical and kitchen-tested recipes with a mix of theory, history, psychology, and Siamese culture tidbits.
Access to Thaifoodmaster’s constantly growing library of prime professional classes, articles, recipes and videos on Siamese culinary topics, available nowhere else in English.
Gain access to NEW MONTHLY masterclasses as they become available.
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
The opportunity to join a monthly live two-hour videoconference where I can answer your questions.
one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.
You will get everything you need to:
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
Finally !
Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.