The dipping sauce that comes with the starters in Asian restaurants is very easy to make. It also keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge. You can buy bottled versions, of course, but they don't have a patch on the fresh-tasting home-made version I give below, which came from a Thai restaurant near to where I live.
It's really a syrup that cooks the vegetables and at the same time takes on their flavor. You can spice it up by adding one small chopped chili to the vegetable mix.
Ingredients
1/2 cup rice, cane or white vinegar
250g (8oz) palm (or brown) sugar
1tsp salt
3tbs water
1 scallion, finely sliced
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 cucumber, de-seeded* and finely chopped
fresh coriander (cilantro) to garnish
Put all the vegetables, but not the coriander, in a deep heat-proof bowl.
Gently bring the first four ingredients to the boil. Do this carefully to avoid burning the sugar.
Boil rapidly for 2 minutes and then pour over the vegetables. Take care not to splash yourself. If you do, immediately put the affected body part under cool running water and keep it there until the redness subsides.
Leave the mixture to cool, but don't chill it.
Put a little chopped coriander in individual pots and spoon the cooled liquid on top. Serve at room temperature.
*to de-seed a cucumber, cut sections of it in half length-wise and run a melon baller or teaspoon from one end to the other, scraping out the seeds.
