Chilis in Oil (Nam Prik Pow)

Nam prik pow is one of those Thai pantry staples that shows up everywhere: stirred into tom yum soup, spooned over fried rice, tossed through stir-fries, or just eaten with rice and a fried egg. It’s a chili jam, thick and dark with a balance of sweet, salty, and smoky heat that hits every corner of your palate.

The technique is straightforward but the order matters. Garlic gets fried golden first, then the shallots go until crispy, and finally the dried chilis darken in the same oil. Each ingredient fries at a different rate, so pulling them out separately prevents burning. Everything goes into a mortar and gets pounded into a rough paste, then stirred back into the warm oil with sugar and salt.

The result should be a thick, almost jammy sauce with a deep black-red color. It keeps well and actually improves after a day or two as the flavors meld.

Chef Tips

• Watch the garlic closely. It goes from golden to burnt in seconds, and burnt garlic will make the entire batch bitter.
• Deseed the dried chilis for a milder paste. Leave some seeds in if you want more heat.
• A mortar and pestle gives the best texture. A food processor works but tends to make it too smooth, losing that rustic, chunky character.
• Store in a clean jar with a thin layer of oil on top. It keeps in the fridge for weeks.

Variations

• Add dried shrimp paste (kapi) and tamarind for a more complex, traditional version.
• Use a mix of dried chili varieties for layered heat: some smoky, some sharp.
• Stir a spoonful into mayonnaise for a spicy sandwich spread.