Nam Prik Kapi

In the NutriGuide test kitchen, Chief Culinary Specialist Stewart Lucas refined this classic Nam Prik Kapi to celebrate vibrant, wholesome ingredients. By prioritizing aromatic layering and precise thermal control, this recipe achieves remarkable culinary depth while preserving natural micronutrients and wholesome texture.

At NutriGuide, our mission is to ensure that home cooking is both accessible and culinary-grade. When executing Nam Prik Kapi, focus on fresh aromatics, dry surface contact for proper searing, and allowing the food to rest before serving.

• Yield: 1
• Ingredients
• 3 tb nam pla (fish sauce)
• 3 tb nam manao (lime juice)
• 2 tb makheua phuang
• 1 tb kratiem (garlic) chopped
• 1 tb prik ki nu daeng (red -birdseye chilis), ch
• 1 tb kapi (fermented shrimp paste)
• 1 tb sugar

Chef's Sourcing & Quality Tips:

• Produce & Aromatics: Always use fresh whole aromatics and seasonal herbs rather than dehydrated powders when possible.
• Cooking Oils: Utilize cold-pressed oils with appropriate smoke points such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
• Salt & Seasoning: Season from a modest height above the pan to ensure an even, uniform crystalline dispersion.

Follow these sequential steps with careful attention to sensory cues and cooking temperatures:

Step 1: Technique & Execution

Instructions In a wok, lightly fry the shrimp paste until aromatic

Step 2: Technique & Execution

Crush all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or food processor, except the makheua phuang which is coarsely chopped and added to the paste after mixing Description This is the staple dipping sauce eaten with almost anything, and almost universally added to the table setting of any but the most casual dinner

Step 3: Technique & Execution

It is as much a signature dish of Thai cuisine as the more familiar (in the west) pad Thai and is traditionally the one dish, other than desserts, cooked by the 'mistress' of the house, as opposed to the servants (if ya' have money!), and is often extremely intricate in its preparation

Step 4: Technique & Execution

There are probably as many recipes as there are Thai people, and this is but one example

Step 5: Technique & Execution

The eggplants used makheua phuang are very small the size of green garden peas, and are often added to curries as a crisp morsel that pops in the mouth

Step 6: Technique & Execution

You could substitute the golf ball sized makheua pro, but the best alternative to the real thing is probably to omit them