We have to end with none other than the QUEEN of Thai condiment, the most commonly used sauce, the ultimate flavour booster: prik nam pla. Prik means chilies, and nam pla means fish sauce. Unlike the previous 4 sauces, prik nam pla isn’t associated with a specific kind of food, but rather used as an all-purpose condiment whose purpose is to fix anything that feels a little underseasoned. Prik Nam Pla: The Thai Sauce to Improve Anything
*Technically prik nam pla would not be considered a nam jim because of the all-purpose nature of it, but I wanted to include it in this discussion because of how commonly used it is and how important it is in Thai cuisine.
Ingredients: All you need is some chopped chilies, combine it with fish sauce, and a little lime juice. And as always you can jazz it up, with garlic and shallots or even a touch of sugar.
The flavour: Prik nam pla is salty, umami, and a little acidic. Though it looks like a lot of chilies in the bowl, if you don’t eat the pieces of chilies, the liquid is typically quite mild.
How to use: Think of it as salt and pepper in Western cuisine – add it if something feels a little bland. Most of the time when a dish feels dull and under seasoned, it is because it lacks salt, acidity, and/or umami, the 3 elements prik nam pla offers, which is why it works so well!
I personally use it most often on fried rice, stir fried noodles and anything that comes with a fried egg on top. My marble eggs recipe is the best dish to experience prik nam pla. Many people also just drizzle it on their rice as a catch all flavour booster since thai people have rice with everything.
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