This is Shrimp in Thai roasted chili paste that is very spicy and tasty. Try it, and it’s really tasty! My brother, sister, nephew, and maid joined me on a clam-digging trip to a little island off the coast of Penang in the early morning hours of January.
In less than two hours, we scooped two buckets full of huge, plump, and tasty fresh clams after we had both our hands and feet wet, not to mention some dirt on my sister’s hair. Regardless, it was an exhilarating, enjoyable, and successful adventure. We had so much fun!
As soon as we returned home, my brother made up a massive batch of hoy lai ped, fried clams with roasted chili paste, a Thai delicacy he had acquired from his Thai buddy.
Our entire family came to share in the harvest, and nothing tastes better than the stuff we’ve caught ourselves. Hoy lai ped means hot clams in Thai. It’s a popular clam dish in Thailand.
Clams are a popular dish in Thailand because of the country’s bounty of fish and shellfish. “Nam prik pao,” basil leaves, and bird’s eye chilies are all you need to make this dish.
Spicy heat, juicy saline flavor, and a strong minty undertone given by fresh basil leaves have rapidly made this dish one of my all-time favorites when it comes to clams. In the United States, I often make hoy lai ped. While clam digging isn’t an option, Asian markets usually have fresh Manila clams.
My brother’s friend also brought me a huge tin of Nam prik pao (Thai roasted chili paste), an essential item in my cooking arsenal. Try out this recipe; it’s pretty amazing! This dish has just 132 calories per serving. I propose the following dishes for a balanced supper and simple weekday dinner.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 pound (0.6 kg) (0.6 kg) 2 tbsp. Nam prik phao, 2 oz. of clams (56 g) To make Thai basil soup, remove the stems and cook with the leaves only.
- 6 bird’s eye chilies, gently pounded
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. sugar, or more to your preference
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce, optional or to taste
- 3 tablespoons oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- 1. Scrub the clams well before rinsing and cleaning them. Set aside.
- When the wok is hot, add oil. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, then add nam prik phao and bird’s eye chilies. After a minute of stirring, add the clams to the pan. Seafood sauce and sugar are added after the clams have opened and stir-fried until fragrant. Serve right away with steaming white rice and a few short stirs.