Mussels Stir-Fried With Thai Roasted Chili Paste
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Loading... - Kexin Cheng
- 13 Mar 2023
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For seafood lovers, these mussels stir-fried with thai roasted chili paste is the dish for you. The meaty green mussels cooked in this ultra-flavorful special sauce and finished with Thai fresh basil leaves make this dish feel like a special meal. And it's quick to come together in less than 25 minutes!
Green mussels stir-fried with Nam Prik Pao and Thai basil is one of my favorite seafood dishes in the Thai food repertoire. The spicy, salty, slightly sweet, tangy, savory sauce makes this recipe feel fancy and delicious!
A NOTE ON NAM PRIK PAO, THAI ROASTED CHILI PASTE
Make your own Nam Prik Pao, Thai roasted chili paste here for the ultimate fresh and delightful mussels stir fry. This is the main seasoning ingredient that adds depth of flavor to this recipe. Best to make your paste to get the flavors just right. All the ingredients can easily be found at most grocery stores and online.
However, if you cannot make your roasted chili paste, buy these brands and see the notes below on flavor adjustments.
- Mae Pranom Brand, Roasted Chili paste. Mae Pranom brand tends to lean more on the sour side and uses less tamarind when cooking with it.
- Pantai, chili paste in soya oil. This brand has a sweeter taste in the paste. Use less sugar in your mussel stir fry if you go with this one.
- Maesri Brand Nam Prik Pao. Maesri brands seem to have the right amount of balance of sweet and salty.
- Nam Prik Pao is versatile and can be used in so many dishes. Just a few ideas to use with your bbq chicken, crispy tilapia fillet, fish fillet,grilled meat, or vegetables. Use in stir-fries, soups, or as a spicy dipping sauce. I like to slather it all over plain jasmine rice or dip sticky rice balls. So good!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Flavors. Using green mussels combined with the roasted chili sauce makes this dish dynamite. Full of flavor explosion in your mouth
It's fast! It's ready in 15 minutes or less, and the prep time takes less than 10 minutes!
It's easy with minimal ingredients. Most ingredients are available at your local grocery stores.
This will be an instant hit for your seafood lovers as the mussels are hearty and take on the savory sauce so well.
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING MUSSELS STIR FRY WITH ROASTED CHILI PASTE
Greenshell mussels. I used large New Zealand green mussels that are already open in halves. Other mollusk shellfish like clams, Abalone, and Escagot work great in this recipe. Or you can use a combination of seafood (with shells). Find these shellfish at your local Asian supermarkets.
Nam Prik Pao. Thai roasted chili paste. Homemade is best, but store-bought is fine. Each brand has a different level of salt, sweetness, and sourness. Use a little bit and add more at the end if needing more flavors.
Garlic. This recipe is heavy on garlic, so be generous if you love it!
Thai red chilis. For extra spiciness. Omit or use red bell pepper instead as a substitute
Oil. Use a high smoking point and neutral flavored oil. Do not use olive oil.
Thai Oyster sauce. Adds extra umami flavors to the mussels.
Thai light soy sauce. Use any soy sauce you have as a substitute.
Sugar. Use brown, white, coconut, monk fruit, or palm sugar.
Rice Vinegar. Adds a touch of tangy balance to the salty, spicy sauce.
Thai sweet basil leaves. Italian basil works fine as a substitute. Add ½ cup extra if using Italian basil.
Chicken broth or stock. Use any stock or broth available to you.
