Gaeng is a Thai word for the world-famous Thai curry paste, either yellow, red, or green in color, sorted by the order of spiciness where yellow curry is slightly spicy and green curry is the spiciest. Yellow curry consists of coconut milk as its base and toasted and powdered variety of spices such as turmeric, anise, cinnamon, dried chilis, bay leaves, ginger, coriander, cumin, and fermented shrimp paste.
Yellow curries are often prepared with bits of beef, lamb or chicken, onions, potatoes, and pineapple. Red curries consist of coconut milk, red chili powder, white pepper, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and grated kaffir limes.
VARIATIONS OF Curry Paste
MAIN INGREDIENTS
In its basic form, this ubiquitous Vietnamese sauce is prepared with a sour base of lime juice, or optionally vinegar, sugar, water, and fish sauce. Common additions include finely sliced chili peppers, garlic, shallots, spring onions, ginger, or fresh herbs.
The sauce comes in many regional varieties, and the final composition may also depend on the type of meal which it accompanies. Nước chấm is usually served as a dipping sauce alongside chả giò (spring rolls), bánh xèo (crispy pancakes), and various meat or seafood dishes, as well as noodles and soups.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Sambal terasi is a traditional and Malaysian sauce and a variety of sambal. It's made with a combination of red chili peppers and shrimp paste (terasi) as the main ingredients. Various other ingredients are added to the sauce such as garlic, shallots, tomatoes, onions, lime juice, oil, sugar, and salt.
This fiery sauce is used as a condiment or an accompaniment to many dishes such as Malaysian lam mee noodles. In Malaysia, sambal terasi is known as sambal belacan.
Serve with
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Nam phrik phao is a versatile Thai concoction and a secret ingredient in numerous Thai dishes. It is made with a combination of roasted chili peppers, dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, ginger, fish sauce, tamarind paste, fermented shrimp paste, and palm sugar.
It can be used as a sauce, condiment, a dip, or a spread, along with being used in a number of different dishes as a cooking ingredient.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
This quintessential Southeast Asian condiment is usually made only with spicy chili peppers and salt. It is occasionally adapted with lime juice, onions, sugar, ginger, shrimp paste, or vinegar. Traditionally prepared in a mortar, it is characterized by its thick consistency and an incredibly strong and sharp flavor.
This original Indonesian creation has gained worldwide acclaim, and store bought varieties are available at numerous Asian food markets and international stores around the world. Sambal is used in a variety of Asian dishes, usually as a spicy condiment, seasoning, or a topping served alongside meat, seafood, vegetables, or rice.
MOST ICONIC Sambal
View moreIndonesian pecel may refer to a fragrant peanut sauce or a combination of the sauce and various vegetables, when it is commonly referred to as a salad. The base of the sauce is prepared with roasted peanuts and spices that typically include chili peppers, palm sugar, garlic, tamarind juice, shrimp paste, kaffir lime leaves, salt, and kencur, an aromatic ginger variety.
Usually associated with Java, the sauce is characterized by its distinctive combination of sweet and spicy flavors. When served with rice, the dish goes under the name nasi pecel.
MOST ICONIC Pecel
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
The term nam phrik refers to a vast range of chili-based sauces that are found throughout Thailand. Although the sauces may vary in consistency, they are traditionally prepared in a mortar, and apart from fresh or dry chili peppers, they usually consist of lime juice, garlic, seasonings, as well as fish sauces or shrimp paste.
Different regional varieties include ingredients such as galangal, sugar, tamarind, and even dry or fermented fish and fruits. Most nam phrik are served as dipping sauces with vegetables and meat or fish.
Serve with
VARIATIONS OF Nam phrik
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Sambal tomat is an Indonesian chili sauce that prominently features tomatoes along with chili peppers. The inclusion of tomatoes gives this sambal a distinctive tangy and somewhat sweet flavor, complementing the spiciness of the chilies.
This sambal can vary in texture from smooth to chunky, depending on how finely the ingredients are chopped or blended. The basic ingredients for sambal tomat usually include fresh red chili peppers, shallots, garlic, and, of course, ripe tomatoes.
Most variations also include shrimp paste (terasi) for added depth, as well as salt, sugar, and lime juice to balance the flavors.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Rica-rica is an umbrella term which encompasses all the dishes that use the fiery Indonesian spice mixture. The base of this hot, sauce-like spice mixture is chili, which is then incorporated with shallots, garlic, ginger, lime leaves, lemongrass, and salt.
The mixture can be made in various ways, spices can be chopped, ground, sliced, or sometimes even burned. Traditionally, the mixture is stir-fried separately in order to release all the flavors and aromas. The taste and the level of spiciness can easily be adjusted, and when it has been made, rica-rica can be used in a wide array of dishes.
Mắm nêm is a traditional dipping sauce made from fermented anchovies. It is much more pungent than other fish sauces – while the regular nước mắm fish sauce is strained in order to exclusively get the salty liquid, mắm nêm uses the whole fish.
When served in dishes, mắm nêm is typically mixed with ingredients like sugar, chili, lime juice, pineapple, and garlic. All of the ingredients elevate mắm nêm's aromas and flavors. It's recommended to use this pungent sauce with beef dishes such as bo nuong vi (Vietnamese lemongrass grilled beef).
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