Vegetarian Nam Jim (Thai Dipping Sauce)

Vegetarian Nam Jim (Thai Dipping Sauce) recipes can be hard to come by. So much Thai food has fish sauce in it, and dipping sauces are usually no exception. This sauce uses other umami filled flavors so that you won’t feel like it’s missing anything.

Nam Jim (or Nam Chim) means dipping sauce in Thai. And there are TONS of varieties. As an avid lover of Thai food, I always love tasting the different sauces at different restaurants. This version of a Thai dipping sauce combines all the flavors that I love from my favorite places. Plenty of lime, enough sweetness to balance it, a good amount of spicy chiles, umami-rich golden mountain sauce, and savory toasted sesame oil.

Techniques for perfect Vegetarian Nam Jim

• Season to taste. This is a pretty spicy sauce, but it’s still really tasty even if you don’t love the heat. Cut down on the chiles or leave them out if heat isn’t for you. If I’m serving this to a large group, I usually do just 1 Thai chile, if it’s just for me, I’ll do 4. Even with one, it’s still pretty spicy. 
• Nam Jim usually calls for fish sauce and oyster sauce. In this vegetarian version, we use golden mountain sauce and toasted sesame oil to bring the umami.

Recipes with Nam Jim / Nam Chim

• Tofu Crying Tiger
• Thai Style Potatoes

Yield: About 1 cup

Vegetarian Nam Jim (Thai Dipping Sauce)

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This easy vegetarian Thai dipping sauce is perfect for crunchy veggies, as a salad dressing, or with fried tofu.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden mountain sauce
• 2 to 4 Thai chiles (fresh or dried), sliced
• 1/4 cup garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon Thai Basil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Stir: Stir together the lime juice, golden mountain sauce, and brown sugar until the brown sugar is dissolved. Brown sugar takes a while to dissolve and sitting in the lime really helps to speed the process. You can stir it constantly for about a minute, or just let it sit for about five minutes and then give it a quick stir.
2. Combine: Add Thai chiles, garlic, ginger, Thai basil, and toasted sesame oil.
3. To serve: You can serve this right away, or let it marinate to let the flavors combine. It gets spicier the longer it sits.

Notes

This gets better as it sits, if you have the time, let the flavors marinate together for about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 26Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

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