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7 Favorite Thai Chili Pastes Healthy Deliciousness for Every Indulgence
“Chili paste” has always been popular Thai staple food since olden times until these days thanks to its spicy and rich flavor. Chili paste is also good for everyone’s health across ages and genders as it is typically made from herbs and spices packed with medicinal properties such as chilis, garlics, or shallots. All these herbs and spices help people who eat them stay healthy.
In the past, more than 500 diverse chili paste recipes were originated locally throughout Thailand. However, a great number of traditional chili paste were forgotten as time moves on. Nowadays, there’re only 200 chili paste recipes left. Anyway, talking about all of them would take an eternity so we decide to round up 7 popular chili paste recipes that Thai people love for all of you. Follow us to explore which healthy savory chili paste recipe you prefer now!
Spicy Shrimp Paste Dip
The most popular chili paste is “Thai Shrimp Paste Chili Sauce”. The main ingredient like fermented shrimp paste is grinded with chilis, garlics, shallots, and dried shrimp powder until the mixture is thoroughly mixed. After that, green eggplant and red goat pepper are added to garnish. The reason why Thai shrimp paste chili sauce remains the most popular chili paste recipe is that it goes perfectly with choices of side dishes be they fresh, boiled or fried vegetables, Thai mackerels, and fried egg with climbing wattle. It’s common to say that everyone who tries this recipe will absolutely love it.
Northern Thai Green Chili Dip
Let’s explore Lanna style chili paste called “Northern Thai Green Chili Dip”, the traditional flavor of Northern Thailand. The green color of chili dip is derived from large hot green chili peppers which look similar to sweet pepper. The hot green peppers are grilled and grinded in shallots and garlics until smooth. The chili dip is usually served with choices of vegetables or Northern-style foods like crispy pork rinds, Northern Thai spicy sausage, and Jin Som.
Spicy Fermented Fish Dip
Let’s continue with North-eastern Thai-style chili paste like “Fermented Fish Chili Paste” which offers distinct aroma and savory taste. To make this chili paste, you should begin with roasting the vegetables and herbs like chilis, garlics, and shallots until aroma released. Then, add the roasted ingredients, fermented fish and its juice in a mortar and pound them into a paste. After that you can enjoy spicy and savory fermented fish chili paste. Fermented fish chili paste taste more delicious with steamed vegetables.
Fried Prawn Chili Paste
We’re going take you to all the 4 regions of Thailand, and we finally reach the Southern Thailand. “Grilled Prawn Chili Paste” that tastes extremely spicy is the signature cuisine in of Southern region. The chili paste is made by combining chilis, garlics, shallots, and fermented shrimp paste before adding crispy grilled prawn to other mixture and mashed until smooth. It goes perfectly with freshly cooked rice!
Green Mango Chili Paste
Though we’ve finished our trip around the 4 regions of Thailand, the legend of deliciousness is not over yet. Apart from the 4 regional chili paste recipes we’ve mentioned previously, we also offer more chili paste alternative you should try. Let’s start off with “Green Mango Dip”, a refreshing and delightful menu in times during the end of lime season. Replace lime with tart sweet mango and simply mix it with carrots, chilis, garlics, shallots, and coriander, then the green mango dip is ready to serve.
Grilled Salmon Chili Paste
“Grilled Salmon Chili Paste” is absolutely a healthy chili paste recipe for everyone who loves spicy food and seek ways to add protein intake without damage the kidney. The recipe combines all spicy condiments like chilis, garlics, and shallots along with grilled salmon, a source of omega-3 fatty acid. Grilled salmon chili paste tastes amazing when you pair it with raw or blanched vegetables.
Mushroom Chili Paste
The last one is another healthy chili paste recipe for everyone especially the vegans because “Mushroom Chili Paste” is made from meatless ingredients. Simply roast your choices of mushroom with salt and chilies to intensify the flavor, then sprinkle shred kaffir lime leaves thoroughly to enhance the aroma and toss with other mixture once again before serving as side dish to go with rice. Also, you can enjoy it as delicious snack during breaks. We highly recommend this savory healthy menu for all of you…
After introducing the 7 healthy savory chili paste, now it’s time to pick out 1 of them to create a new creative chili paste in our own way. The recipe we proudly present today is “Shitake Mushroom Chili Paste” made from a combination of thinly sliced brown Shitake mushroom in bite-size pieces and roasted chilis, garlics, and shallots to maximize the flavor. This chili paste tastes even more delectable with choices of vegetable. Now if you’re ready, come with us to see what ingredients you need to prepare and follow the instructions step by step to make Shitake Mushroom chili paste…
Ingredients
1. Tops Brand Medium Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
2. 6 shallots
3. 6 garlic heads peeled
4. 6 bird’s eye chilies
5. 2 goat chilies
6. 1 Seeda Tomato
7. Fish sauce 2 tbsp.
8. Lime juice 2 tbsp.
9. Palm sugar 1 tsp.
10. Choice of vegetables to go with dip
Instructions
1. Fill the pot with water. Heat the pot over medium heat, add Tops Brands Medium Dried Shitake Mushroom to the pot, wait until the mushrooms become tender and cooked thoroughly, drain out all the water and set aside. Cut Shitake mushrooms into thin bite-size pieces.
2. Heat the skillet over medium heat and let the pan heat up. Roast the shallots, peeled garlics, green goat chilis, bird chilis, and Seeda tomatoes until cooked thoroughly.
3. Add cooked shallots, garlics, green goat chilis, and bird chilies into the mortar, grind all the mixtures until smooth.
4. Add cooked Seeda tomatoes into the mortar, crush and grind with pestle to form a smooth paste.
5. Add fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar to enhance the flavor, toss the mixture until blended.
6. Add pieces of Shitake mushroom into the mortar, mix with chili mixture using spoon or ladle, then transfer to a condiment bowl and serve with your choice of vegetables!
Have you ever known that Shitake mushroom is a great source of fiber? This type of mushroom is also recognized as nutrient-dense low-calorie food with a great number of nutritional values like minerals and vitamins that contribute to good health, promote the functions of immune systems, build strong and healthy bones, and reduce risk of any chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, coronary artery disease as well as cancer.
Well, please give us the opportunity to upsell our products. If you’re looking for nutrient-dense ingredients and condiments, you are always welcome at any branch of Tops and Central Food Hall near you. Also, you can place your order at Tops Online 24 hours for your convenience. Well, we should better go now to enjoy our choices of vegetable with savory chili paste. See you next week, goodbye…
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