Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

By sidecars

This salty-sour concoction appears on every table in Vietnam, and is used as freely as salt and pepper. As an all-purpose condiment, it gets splashed, drizzled or sloshed over all types of dishes. You can make it ahead, and it keeps well in the fridge for several days.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar, finely grated
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemongrass, pale section only, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons carrots, grated
• 1 -2 thai red chile, deseeded, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Preparation

Step 1

1 In a small bowl, combine the hot water and grated palm sugar (be sure to pack the grated sugar into the tablespoon so you have enough sweetening). Stir until sugar dissolves. 2 Add remaining ingredients and stir well.