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Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on July 15, 2019

Time

10 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 (makes 1 cup)

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar, divided1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced1 garlic clove, minced⅔ cup hot water 5 tablespoons fish sauce ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

Instructions

  1. Using mortar and pestle, mash chile, garlic, and 1 tablespoon sugar to fine paste (or mash to paste on cutting board using flat side of chef’s knife). Transfer to medium bowl and add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice.
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)
Photography by Carl Tremblay. Styling by Chantal Lambeth.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

10 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 (makes 1 cup)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
⅔ cup hot water
5 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
⅔ cup hot water
5 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 small Thai chile, stemmed and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
⅔ cup hot water
5 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

Why This Recipe Works

Nước chấm, an intensely flavored mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, water, garlic, and chiles, is a perfect accompaniment to our Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Goi Cuon). To ensure that every drop of the sauce is flavored with garlic and chile, we use a portion of the sugar to help grind the ingredients into a fine paste.

Instructions

  1. Using mortar and pestle, mash chile, garlic, and 1 tablespoon sugar to fine paste (or mash to paste on cutting board using flat side of chef’s knife). Transfer to medium bowl and add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice.

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