Jeow mak len

Step 1: Grill 14 oz ripe tomatoes, 6 fresh green or red bird's eye chillies, 3 shallots and 5 cloves garlic on a barbecue, in a dry cast-iron pan over a medium-high heat or under a very hot grill, turning, until the skins are blistered and charred in patches and the tomatoes are soft and slumped. The chillies and garlic take about 5 minutes; the tomatoes and shallots 12–15.

Step 2: Let everything cool for a few minutes, then peel the garlic and shallots and pull off any loose, fully black tomato skin, leaving some charred bits. Cut off the chilli stems.

Step 3: Pound the chillies, garlic, shallots and ½ tsp salt in a mortar to a coarse paste. Common mistake: using a blender; it whips the tomatoes into a thin, pink sauce. Pounding keeps it chunky and smoky.

Step 4: Add the tomatoes and pound gently, turning the mixture with a spoon, until broken down into a thick, rough salsa.

Step 5: Stir in 1 tbsp tamari and 1 tbsp lime juice, taste and adjust, then fold in 1 small handful coriander leaves and 1 spring onion. Serve at room temperature with sticky rice and raw vegetables.