Rezept

Stir-fried vegetables with Sam Het: vegan chili paste, lots of umami

Sam Het is the vegan Nam Prik Pao made with roasted mushrooms instead of shrimp paste. Stir-fried in a wok with tofu and fresh mushrooms, it becomes a quick main dish.

3 Min. Lesezeit

Wok-Gemüse mit Sam Het: vegane Chilipaste, viel Umami

Classic Nam Prik Pao gets its umami from shrimp paste. Sam Het, น้ำพริกเผาสามเห็ด, takes a different approach: roasted mushrooms and soy sauce take on this task, completely without fish or crustaceans.

This is not a makeshift solution. Mushrooms provide an earthy depth that is clearly distinct from that of fish, but just as supportive and no less complex in taste. In Thailand, this paste ends up on the same plate as its relatives: with rice, with vegetables, or as a base for the wok. For those who do not eat or like crustaceans, this is an alternative that doesn't taste like a compromise.

Anyone trying it for the first time will immediately recognize the signature of Nam Prik Pao: roasted, slightly sweet, with a heat that only appears after swallowing. With fresh mushrooms and tofu, it becomes a wok dish that is free of animal ingredients and still filling.

  • 4servings
  • 20 min.preparation
  • 3/5on the THAANI scale

Shopping list

What you will also need

  • 1 jar THAANI Sam Het (approx. 3 tbsp for this recipe)
  • 250 g mixed mushrooms (button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms), sliced
  • 200 g firm tofu, cubed
  • 1 red chili pepper, cut into rings
  • 150 g pak choi, cut into strips
  • 2 spring onions, cut into rings
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 400 g cooked jasmine rice
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation

  1. Preparation. Chop the mushrooms, tofu, and pak choi. Cook the rice and keep warm.
  2. Sauté the tofu. Heat half of the oil and fry the tofu in it until crispy, then remove. Place on a plate with paper towels so it stays crispy.
  3. Fry the mushrooms. Add the remaining oil to the wok and fry the mushrooms over high heat until the liquid they release has evaporated.
  4. Stir in the paste. Add the Sam Het and mix with the mushrooms until the wok smells consistent.
  5. Combine. Add the tofu, pak choi, and chili pepper, stir in a splash of water and continue to fry briefly until the pak choi wilts and everything is evenly coated.
  6. Serving. Distribute over the rice, sprinkle with spring onions, and serve with a lime wedge.
Umami doesn't need the sea. Mushrooms and roasted chili are perfectly sufficient.

Three more ideas

  • As a soup base: stir a spoonful of Sam Het into vegetable broth and supplement with rice noodles and pak choi. You will have a spicy noodle soup on the table in five minutes.
  • On toast: mixed with a little oil, spread on toasted bread and sprinkle with spring onions. A hard-boiled egg on top turns it into a meal.
  • For rice salad: mix cold rice with Sam Het, roasted peanuts, and lime. Eaten chilled, this is a great side dish for grilled food.

Once opened, the jar will keep in the refrigerator at +2 to +6 °C. One jar of Sam Het provides about 10 servings as a seasoning; for this wok dish, you will need about one-third of it, and the rest is ready for your next culinary ideas.