Make your summer sizzle with this perfect barbecue sauce from southern Thailand. Sun lives with his wife and young son in Krabi on the Andaman Coast.
You can learn how to make this from Sun himself though why not have a go in the meantime, we've made the recipe very easy to follow.
Ingredients:
3 fresh bird's eye chillies
1-2 cloves of garlic
Half a teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
Tamarind block or tamarind paste*
Sugar to taste
Fresh coriander
* Tamarind block is available at Thai and Asian supermarkets and also at Tesco and Sainsbury's. If you are unable to find it, you can substitute tamarind paste.
First, take a lump from your block of tamarind and put it in a bowl with some warm water and leave to soak. The lump of tamarind should be the size of Sun's big toe but you can always use your own for a general idea!
Chop the chillies and garlic into very fine pieces. Then combine in a pestle and mortar with the salt and grind until well combined. Then, add the peanuts and grind the mixture to a paste.
Tell Tale Tip:
You can also use a spice mill/grinder or a blender/food processor (that can handle very small quantities)
By now, the tamarind should be soft and swollen. Squeeze the pulp (which contains seeds) with your fingers to get all the juice out of the pulp then discard it so you are left with the tamarind water.
Tell Tale Tip:
You could also use a strainer to sieve the water into another bowl and work a fork into the pulp/stones in the sieve.
Now, add your paste to the tamarind water along with sugar to taste and mix it up well. Pour it into your serving bowl and garnish with freshly-chopped coriander.