Nam Prik Noom Recipe (Northern Thai Green Chili Dip)
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This easy nam prik noom recipe makes a smoky, spicy Northern Thai green chili dip with bold roasted flavor using just four simple ingredients. I’ll show you exactly how dark to roast the vegetables so you can recreate the authentic flavor you’d find in Northern Thailand, even if it’s your first time making it.
What is nam prik noom?
Nam prik noom is a traditional Northern Thai green chili dip made by roasting green chilies, garlic, and shallots before pounding them with a mortar and pestle into a rustic chili paste. It has a deep smoky flavor, subtle sweetness from the roasted vegetables, and medium heat.
In Northern Thailand, it’s served alongside sticky rice, fresh vegetables, crispy pork rinds, grilled meats, boiled eggs, or fried fish. It’s also paired with nam prik ong, a Northern Thai chili dip made with tomatoes and minced pork.
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
You can find everything at Asian grocery stores or markets. Head to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- Large green chilies (prik noom): Prik noom chilies are traditional for this recipe. They’re long, green chilies with moderate heat that become wonderfully smoky and slightly sweet after roasting. If you can’t find them, Anaheim peppers make the closest substitute.
- Shallots: Choose firm shallots without soft spots for the best flavor.
- Garlic: Don’t substitute garlic powder here, it won’t give the same flavor.
- Salt: Salt doesn’t just season the dip; it brings out the natural sweetness of the roasted vegetables and ties all the flavors together.
Some recipes add fish sauce, lime juice, or palm sugar, but I stick with just these four ingredients because the roasted vegetables already provide plenty of smoky, naturally sweet flavor.
How to make it
1: Roast the vegetables. Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Roast the green chilies for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until the skins are well blackened and blistered. Roast the garlic and shallots for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened with charred spots.
Don’t worry if the vegetables look too dark. The blackened skin is exactly what you want.
2: Peel. Let the vegetables cool for about 5 minutes. Peel away most of the charred skin from the chilies, garlic, and shallots.
You don’t need to remove every black speck. Leaving a little char behind adds even more smoky flavor.
3: Pound. Pound the garlic and salt first until a paste forms. Add the shallots, then the roasted chilies, pounding until you have a coarse chili paste.
Avoid pounding it completely smooth. Nam prik noom with vegetables should have a rustic texture with small pieces of chili throughout.
How to eat nam prik noom
In Northern Thailand, nam prik noom is usually served family-style with a basket of sticky rice, fresh and steamed vegetables, and a few simple side dishes. Everyone takes a little of everything and dips the vegetables or meat into the green chili dip before eating.
Pair it with:
You can also serve it as a dipping sauce for grilled seafood, tofu, or spoon it over warm jasmine rice.
Storage
The refrigerated shelf life of nam prik noom is about 1 week when stored in an airtight container, although it’s best enjoyed within the first few days while the flavors are at their freshest.
For the best flavor, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. I don’t recommend freezing, as the roasted vegetables become watery and lose their texture once thawed.
More Thai chili dips to try
Nam Prik Noom Recipe (Northern Thai Green Chili Dip)
Equipment
- Grill pan or cast-iron skillet
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 11 large green chilies, Thai prik noom preferred; Anaheim peppers work too
- 6 cloves garlic, leave unpeeled before roasting
- 8 shallots, I used red Thai shallots, leave unpeeled
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables: Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Roast the green chilies for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until the skins are blackened and blistered. Roast the garlic and shallots for about 5 minutes until softened with charred spots. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Peel: Peel away most of the charred skin from the chilies, garlic, and shallots. Don't worry if a few black specks remain, they add smoky flavor.
- Pound: Pound the garlic and salt into a paste using a mortar and pestle. Add the shallots, then the roasted chilies, pounding until you have a coarse chili paste. Avoid making it completely smooth.
- Serve: Serve immediately with sticky rice, fresh vegetables, crispy pork rinds, grilled meats, or boiled eggs.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline