Nuoc Tuong Pha

　　This vegetarian dipping sauce can be made with any soy sauce, including the Japanese-style Kikkoman, although the Vietnamese prefer the lighter-bodied Chinese-style products marketed under the brands Kim Lan, Bo De, and Pearl River Bridge. Like dipping sauces made with fish sauce, you can embellish this with different aromatics such as ginger and cilantro.

Ingredients

　　1 clove garlic

　　2 fresh Thai bird chilies

　　2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

　　1/3 cup soy sauce, preferably Chinese style

　　2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp

　　1/4 cup water, or to taste

　　1. Place the garlic, chilies and sugar in a mortar and pound into a paste. (You can also chop the garlic and chilies by hand.) Transfer to a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice and water. Stir until well blended. This sauce will keep up to 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator in a tight-lidded jar.

　　Reprinted with permission from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham. © 2001 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.