I made the Jaew Mak Len for the pot luck at work today.
I'm home sick :-( awful burning, sore, scratchy throat.
Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow. I think this will be a great
addition to the leftovers.

Here's what I did.
Got some cherry tomatoes, garlic, shallots, red bell, and some
serranos.
http://i33.tinypic.com/20zxlvl.jpg

Roasted them.
http://i34.tinypic.com/sw4ubb.jpg

Pulsed in the blender.
http://i38.tinypic.com/2dj4f5.jpg

Chopped the cilantro
http://i38.tinypic.com/wcixzd.jpg

Ready for the veggies.
http://i33.tinypic.com/34j82va.jpg

The serranos don't add enough of a kick so I'll grind up some dried
arbol chilis I have and throw in just a bit.

I'm not going to add all the cilantro until it's time to serve.
I roasted some potatoes, green beans, carrots and cauliflower.
It should make a pretty plate.

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Lao Tomato Dip (Jaew Mak Len)

sauces/dips

3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
8 cloves garlic; halved
6 Thai chiles; stemmed
2 shallots; halved
1/2 red bell pepper; stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Charring the vegetables for this dip is the secret to it's smoky
flavor.

Heat broiler; place a rack 4" from heat source. (Alternately, prepare
a medium-hot charcoal fire; place a vegetable grate over the grill
top.)
Put the tomatoes, garlic, chiles, shallots and red bell pepper on a
foil lined baking sheet (or on grill top if grilling.) broil or grill
vegetables, turning once, until charred, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
Transfer garlic, chiles, shallots and bell pepper to a food processor;
pulse until chopped. Add tomatoes; pulse until just chunky. Transfer
dip to a bowl; stir in chopped cilantro, fish sauce and salt.

Notes: Saveur Magazine Nov 2008 #115

Yield: 4 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.84 **

koko
There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 11/15

koko wrote on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:49:52 -0800:

> Charring the vegetables for this dip is the secret to it's
> smoky flavor.


That's certainly true. Indian Roasted Eggplant with Tomato and Onion
(Baingan Bhartha) relies on charred vegetables as does Italian Caponata
(Roasted Eggplant Salad with Capers and Onions).






--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not