Vietnamese dipping sauce

Lunch | Vietnamese

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 2 min Servings: 1

I would say that Nuoc cham is an ‘all-rounder’ type dipping sauce. It’s sweet, salty, sour and spicy at the same time, so it goes with pretty much anything. The first time I had this dipping sauce was in Vietnam and I think it was just on the table to have with rice paper rolls, pork, noodles and herbs. I think my favourite combo was dipping crispy pork into it.

Dipping sauce can help to finish a dish and I think it’s a great addition to any dinner table where you’re serving lots of different dishes. It obviously goes great with other Vietnamese dishes but I find it works with a lot of Southeast Asian style meats, veg and dry noodles.. anything that needs a little extra zing to it.

Ingredient Notes

Fish sauce: Fish sauce is the backbone of nuoc cham. The recipe gives a range of 2 to 3 tablespoons because fish sauce varies a lot in saltiness and intensity between brands. Add it gradually, tasting as you go. Avoid very cheap brands as they can have a harsh, metallic edge.

Palm sugar: Palm sugar gives the sauce a rounder, more caramel-like sweetness than white sugar. It’s sold in solid discs or blocks that you grate before use. Find it at Asian grocery stores and most supermarkets. Light brown sugar is a workable substitute if you can’t find palm sugar, though the flavour will be slightly different. Don’t use white sugar as it makes the sauce taste sharper and less rounded.

Rice vinegar: The rice vinegar is added to taste at the end and serves a different purpose to the lime juice. Where lime adds a sharp, citrusy acidity, rice vinegar adds a softer, milder sourness that rounds the sauce out. Start with a small splash and add more if you feel the sauce needs more depth in the sour note without sharpening the lime flavour further.

Equipment

Small saucepan
Whisk
Airtight jar or container

Ingredients

½ cup water
2 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
2-3 tbsp fish sauce
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
1-3 red birdseye chilli, finely chopped
splash rice vinegar, to taste

Directions

In a small saucepan, whisk together water and palm sugar over low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.
Add in lime juice, then gradually add the fish sauce, tasting as you go until you get the right balance of sweet, salty, sour.
Stir in garlic and chilli, then some rice vinegar to taste.
Set aside to allow flavours to develop, then serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe notes