📍 Where this dish comes from: Central Thailand (Ayutthaya) · Ayutthaya ruins
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Discover the history of this region →
Nam Prik Ong is the Northern Thai answer to a bolognese sauce, eaten as a relish alongside raw and blanched vegetables. Dried chilies pounded with fermented shrimp paste, then simmered with minced pork and tomatoes, create an intensely savoury, smoky dip with a subtle heat that builds pleasantly — perfect with a crunchy keto crudité platter.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 340kcal
Ingredients
- 300 g minced pork
- 3 roma tomatoes roughly chopped
- 5 dried red chilies soaked 20 min
- 1 tbsp shrimp paste (kapi)
- 6 shallots peeled
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Cucumber radish, celery, blanched broccoli to serve
- Pork crackling to serve
Instructions
- Pound dried chilies, shrimp paste, shallots, and garlic in a mortar until a smooth paste forms.
- Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Fry the paste 3–4 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the pork mince, breaking it up well. Cook until no longer pink.
- Add tomatoes and fish sauce. Simmer 15 minutes until thick and jammy.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve in a bowl surrounded by crudités and pork crackling for scooping.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 340kcal | Protein: 22g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 2g
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Health Benefits
- Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant linked to heart health.
- Shrimp paste is a source of iodine and B vitamins, both important for thyroid function.
- Dried chilies contain capsaicin, associated with a modest boost to metabolic rate.