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Jaew bong
แจ่วบอง (jaeo bong) — Isan roasted shallot and chilli paste with fermented fish
Isan and Lao households keep a jar of this thick, smoky relish in the kitchen the way other cooks keep mustard, scooping it onto sticky rice for a quick lunch or setting it out with steamed vegetables and crackling. Its backbone is pla ra, the funky fermented fish of the north-east, pounded with charred shallots, garlic, galangal and toasted chillies into a dark, rough-textured paste that is salty, sweet-smoky and fiery. For safety and ease this version uses bottled cooked pla ra (or anchovy sauce) and boils it before it goes in, since homemade raw pla ra can carry parasites. Serve with sticky rice, cucumber, cabbage and long beans. Chef's tip: roast the aromatics until properly blackened in patches; the char is the flavour, so don't stop when they are merely soft.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the roast aromatics
For the paste
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 6 shallots, 1 garlic and 1 oz galangal in a dry heavy frying pan over a medium heat (or on a grill over charcoal). Roast, turning often, for 12–15 minutes until the skins are blackened in patches and the insides are soft.
15 minStep 2: In the same pan over a low heat, toast 10 dried long red chillies for 1–2 minutes, pressing them down, until they darken and crisp. Watch them closely: a common mistake is letting them go black, which makes the whole jar bitter.
2 minStep 3: Put 4 tbsp bottled cooked pla ra (fermented fish sauce) and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan and bring to a full boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Boiling it makes it safe to eat and tames the smell. Strain out any bones or rice husk.
4 minStep 4: Peel the shallots and garlic and chop the galangal. Pound the chillies to flakes in a mortar, then add the galangal and pound until fine, then the shallots and garlic, to a thick, rough paste.
Step 5: Stir in the hot pla ra, 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp palm sugar. Taste: it should be salty, smoky and hot with a touch of sweetness. Add more fish sauce or sugar to suit.
Step 6: Serve at room temperature with vegetables and sticky rice. Store in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jaew bong take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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