Green Mango Dip

This Thai green mango dip is built around unripe mango, which is sour and crunchy instead of sweet and soft. Shredded green mango gets bruised in a mortar with garlic and shrimp paste, releasing its tart juices while keeping those shredded strands intact for texture.

The flavor profile is intensely Thai: fish sauce (nam pla) for deep, briny saltiness, lime juice for acid, sugar for balance, and shrimp paste for that unmistakable funky depth that anchors the whole thing. Six garlic cloves means this dip doesn’t hold back.

Gently bruising rather than pounding is the technique here. You want the mango shreds softened and juicy, not turned into a smooth paste. That shredded texture gives the dip body and something to grab onto when you scoop it with vegetables or alongside grilled meat.

Pro Tips

• Use truly green, unripe mangoes; a ripe mango will be too sweet and mushy for this recipe
• Bruise gently with the pestle; a few taps is all you need to release the juices
• Taste and adjust the balance of sour, salty, and sweet; Thai dipping sauces should hit all three
• Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork skewers, or raw vegetables like cucumber and long beans

Variations

• Add sliced Thai bird’s eye chilies for a fiery version
• Use green papaya instead of green mango for a different texture and milder sourness
• Stir in chopped roasted peanuts for crunch and richness