Is there a substitute for Asian fish sauce / Nam Pla, or should I just buy some?!
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Answers: Thank you in advance.... I don't use it very much, but maybe it keeps well ?
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why worry about the hassell of making a substitute, even if you could get the right flavour, just go and spend a $1.50 or so and get the original,
cheers
No there really is no substitute and it's the essence of Thai food. It's readily available and inexpensive, spend a couple bucks and you can make authentic Asian food at home! Look at it this way, it's cheaper than take out!
Maybe oyster sauce would be the closest substitute.
If you have an Asian market nearby you can get it there real cheap... you can definitely get cheap (under $1) packages of rice noodles (at least in Boston)...
With all the salt in it, the stuff has a huge shelf life...
(I don't think Oyster sauce is a good substitute, different flavor & consistency)...
Just buy a bottle. It is cheap and will encourage you to be more adventurous in the kitchen. If you cannot find the real thing, go to a Filipino food shop and buy a bottle of Patis, an amber-colored fish sauce.
Unless you want to buy some anchovy paste for ceasar salad dressing, I buy a small bottle here in Toronto Canada in either Chinatown, it is one a couple of ounces, and last a few weeks, other than that the anchovy paste and a mix with soya sauce and a bit of water.
Although nothing really replaces it and it is relatively inexpensive, so a small bottle is not a big deal, and it does not go bad, it can change colour over time, keep it in a cool dark place or in the frig, just make sure it is sealed good or your frig will smell like an aquarium???
sauteed anchovies. don't get fish sauce on your hands, you can't get rid of the smell!!!!
salt can be used.but fish sauce is tastier..so jus use it