​Sweet Heat: Crafting Your Own Thai Chilli Sauce

Treat your customers with this homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce or nam chim kai. A single batch, and you'll wonder why you ever opted for store-bought. This sauce isn't just a favourite of mine for its versatility and simplicity; it elevates any dish it accompanies, promising a burst of flavour with every dip. Embracing the homemade route means tailoring the taste to perfection, ensuring it's a guaranteed hit with any meal.

The Essence of Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce

Imagine a sauce that perfectly balances sweetness with a touch of chilli warmth. This luscious sauce is the hero behind making spring rolls, grilled chicken, and irresistibly good nibbles.

The Art of Nam Chim Kai

The beauty of Nam Chim Kai lies in its diversity. Every recipe tells a new story with its vibrant red hue and unique taste.

Every Thai restaurant has its secret recipe, and the supermarket shelves are a testament to its varied incarnations. Whether it's the type of chilli, the tang of the vinegar, or the sweetness of the sugar, crafting this sauce is like painting with flavours.

Why Choose Homemade Thai Chilli Sauce?

Flavour control is in your hands! Do you crave mild warmth or a zesty kick? Do you prefer it sweet or with a sharp tang?

Ingredients Decoded:

Fresh Red Chillies: They're the spice life of the sauce. Tweak the heat by adjusting the seeds, using fewer chillies.

Apple Cider Vinegar: This is your tang master, balancing the sweetness to perfection.

White Sugar: This brings the sweet symphony. Feel free to adjust to hit your sweet spot.

Salt: This will tie all the flavours together and give your sauce a longer fridge life.

Garlic: It adds a depth of flavour, mingling savoury with sweet and spice.

What You Will Need:

Let's Get Cooking!

1. Wash and dry those chillies.

2. Pulse the chillies and garlic into a fine paste with a food processor.

3. Heat a large pan over a medium-high flame. Mix in vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Let it simmer for 10–15 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens. Remember, it thickens as it cools.

4. Stir in the garlic and chillies, cook for another minute, and then turn off the heat.

5. Pour your creation into portion pots, a sterilised glass bottle, or a sterilised jar.

Note: Homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce keeps well in the fridge for about one month.

Pro-Tip: Mild or fiery, it's all in your hands. Traditionally, it's milder, but you can amp up the chilli or garlic to suit your taste.

This sauce is a dream with Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Scampi, or Chinese crispy fried salt and pepper Squid.

You're ready to dazzle your dishes with homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce!