Thai sweet chili sauce / Nam Chim Kai

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce is an interesting dip or condiment to make. One can start from a really basic sauce beloved of children and gradually add complexity to match a more discerning palate. Ideally, the recipe should lend itself to all occasions and should store well in a fridge, though we rarely seem to have any left over!

This particular recipe makes for a great gift when invited out to a barbecue or simply as a Christmas stocking filler as it is always tasty, popular and well received and stores well in an air-tight jar.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A SWEET CHILI SAUCE?

Sweetness, sourness, subtle undertone of chili, ginger and a garlic kick. Ideally the sauce is smooth enough to store in a squeeze-bottle yet has visible chunks or garlic and chili suspended in a pale-orange sauce.

The basic recipe is simple enough that it is no longer worth-it to buy factory-made sauce while complex enough that new flavours can be brought into the sauce.

IS THIS RECIPE GLUTEN FREE OR VEGAN?

There is only 1 source of gluten in this recipe, which is the soy sauce – yes, soy is not gluten-free, I was surprised by that. You could leave the soy sauce out – reducing salt or sodium, but then you lose some of the taste. Instead, i suggest exchanging the soy sauce for tamari sauce, which is a Japanese sauce made as a by-product of miso paste and does not normally contain gluten – always read the label! Tamari will be less salty which is great for dipping sauces and is generally more balanced and flavourful than soy sauce.

Similarly, you could leave out the fish sauce, which will result in a less complex sauce but substituting both the fish sauce and the soy sauce with tamari sauce will add a different depth. I do not recommend adding both the soy and tamari sauce due to the salt content of the two.

CAN I MAKE LARGE QUANTITY AND PLACE THE SAUCE IN A JAR?

Making larger batches is always a great option – the larger quantities are much more forgiving when it comes to poor quantity measurements and it is often easier to adjust larger volumes. However, the use of cornstarch in this sauce complicates matters as badly incorporated cornstarch will create clumps in the end product. To avoid this, either make the sauce using a gelatin pack (or Clearjel if vegan as it is a modified cornstarch, avoid the instant version and add in 1 extra teaspoon), or simply do not add the cornstarch initially and mix it it when ready to use the sauce.

Just make sure that you sterilize your containers and seal them properly! At home, we always have a squeeze bottle (recycled ketchup bottle) in the fridge, ready to go.

I DO NOT HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS, NOW WHAT?

Most pantries will have sugar, chili and vinegar, which is the bare minimum to make this sauce and if that is all you have, follow this recipe. Twisting the recipe into a “Thai” version adds extra layers of complexity and depth. The more ingredients you add, the better the end product.