Mắm Nêm is a very pungent Vietnamese sauce made with fermented anchovy, crushed pineapples, sugar, lemon juice, Thai chili pepper, lemongrass, and garlic. It is a hard-core alternative to wherever the more widely known Vietnamese Fish Sauce Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham) is used, and best as a dipping for butter beef spring rolls.
Mam Nem is an acquired taste, but once mixed with the right ingredients, it’s oh so so good.
Vietnamese Fermented Anchovy Dipping Sauce (Mam Nem)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
Description
Looking for a dipping sauce that’s a little more adventurous than regular fish sauce dipping sauce (nước chấm)? Try this more traditional dipping sauce made with this fermented fish sauce called mắm nêm. It goes wonderfully with butter beef spring rolls.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1/4 cup bottled fermented fish sauce (Quê Hương Mắm Nêm)
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapples
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar (add to taste)
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
- Red chili peppers (finely minced)
Instructions
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Heat Oil: In a small pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
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Sauté Aromatics: Add garlic and lemongrass to the pan. Sauté until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
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Make the Sauce: Add fermented fish sauce, crushed pineapples, sugar, lemon or lime juice, and red chili peppers. Adjust the amount of sugar gradually, depending on the sweetness of the pineapples. Stir to combine.
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Cook and Serve: Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. Serve warm as a flavorful dipping sauce or accompaniment.
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: condiment
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
