My Take on Nam Prik Ong (Ground Chicken in Stewed Tomatoes)

I've had the most lovely time with my dear friend Lacy this past week. We had so many adventures and I look forward to more this year when she can came back with her husband. One of the evenings, she wanted me to show her how I make this simple ground chicken dish called Nam Prik Ong.

I'm sure if I did it the true Northern Thai way, the flavors would be a little more layered and exquisite. However, with time being of the essence these days and for those of you wanting to know how to spice up plain old ground chicken, this recipe might be the dish for you.

Before you try making Nam Prik Ong I have to forewarn you about one ingredient that is essential yet hard to cook with due to smell. I love it, my mom and sisters love it, but my dad runs away from it. It's called, Kapi (in Thai), fermented dried shrimp paste, and it is used in many southeast asian dishes. It smells awful but I promise you, it's worth the taste! You can purchase this ingredient in your local asian market.

Here's what you will need:

1 lb of Ground Chicken
5 cloves of Garlic, mashed or minced
1 tablespoon of Red Crushed Pepper
1 tablespoon of Fish Sauce
1/8 teaspoon of Fermented Shrimp Paste (Kapi)
1 teaspoon of Chicken Bouillon
1 can of Stewed Tomatoes (no salt added)
Cilantro leaves for garnish
1 tablespoon of Oil

• Heat pan on medium-high. Add oil and let heat for about 30 seconds.
• Add garlic and red crushed peppers and fry garlic until lightly golden. Then add fish sauce and kapi. Add a little water if the mixture is dry. Fry mixture for about 30 seconds.
• Add ground chicken and cook until the pink is gone.
• Add stewed tomatoes, crushing tomatoes and stirring in chicken until chicken is crumbled and well mixed. 
• Finally add bouillon and mix well again. Place Nam Prik Ong into bowl and garnish with cilantro. *You can also add cilantro into the mixture for more flavor. And as always adjust food according to your preference. Personally I would add more heat and kapi!