Nam Prik Ong Spicy Tomato Soup, an Irresistible Symbol of Chiang Mai Comfort Food
🧂 Ingredients
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- 250 grams ground beef
- 6 pieces medium-sized red tomatoes
- 5 pieces large dried chilies
- 8 pieces dried bird's eye chilies
- 8 cloves shallots
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp roasted shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp tamarind water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 leaves kaffir lime leaves
- 150 ml water
- 1/2 tsp salt
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Soak the dried chilies and dried bird's eye chilies in hot water for 10 minutes until softened, then drain.
- 2 Toast the soaked chilies together with the shallots and garlic in a dry pan (no oil) until fragrant and slightly wilted, then set aside.
- 3 Briefly boil the tomatoes in boiling water for 3 minutes, remove, peel off the skins, then chop coarsely.
- 4 Blend or pound the chilies, shallots, garlic, and roasted shrimp paste using a blender or mortar and pestle until it forms a smooth paste.
- 5 Heat the vegetable oil in a pan, then sauté the paste until cooked and fragrant, about 5 minutes over medium heat.
- 6 Add the ground beef, stir well, and cook until the meat changes color and is fully cooked.
- 7 Add the chopped tomatoes, stir, and cook until the tomatoes break down and release their juices, about 8-10 minutes.
- 8 Pour in the water, fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind water, salt, and thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to a paste-like consistency, about 15-20 minutes.
- 9 Taste and adjust the sour-sweet-salty balance to your liking. Remove from heat and serve warm.
💡 Tips
• Toast the dried chilies without oil so their aroma comes through better and they don't burn — just toast until wilted and fragrant.
• Use fully ripe tomatoes so the sweet-tart flavor is more balanced and the soup has a deeper red color.
• Serve with fresh vegetables like long beans, cabbage, and cucumber, along with pork cracklings or beef cracklings as an authentic dipping companion.
• This soup tastes even better if left overnight in the fridge, as the flavors meld further — just reheat before serving.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
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