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Vegan nuoc cham
Nước chấm chay: Vietnam's sweet, sour and salty dipping sauce, made without fish sauce
Nước chấm is the dipping sauce that goes with almost everything in Vietnam: spring rolls, bánh xèo, noodle salads and broken rice. Buddhist vegetarian cooks, all over the country, make it without fish sauce, using light soy sauce and a little coconut water for the deep, rounded taste. It should be thin, clear and pale amber, with flecks of garlic and chilli floating on top. Chef's tip: dissolve the sugar in the warm water first, then add the lime and soy, and stir in the garlic and chilli last, pounded with a pinch of sugar, so they float on the surface instead of sinking.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Stir 3 tbsp sugar into ½ cup warm water until completely dissolved; undissolved sugar sinks and the sauce tastes thin.
Step 2: Add 3 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 pinch salt and stir. Taste: sweet, sour and salty should be in balance, a little punchy, as it will be spooned over neutral rice and noodles. Add more lime or sugar to suit.
Step 3: Finely chop 2 cloves garlic and 2 red bird's eye chillies, then pound or crush them with a pinch of sugar using the flat of a knife or a mortar, into a rough paste. Stir into the sauce; the sugar helps them float.
Step 4: Add 2 tbsp carrot if you like, for colour. Serve straight away, or keep in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 30 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegan nuoc cham take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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