Hot And Cold Shrimp (Goong Kob Poh)

* (Sriracha or Sambel Lampung) [Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce, available here, and comes in several varieties++ from mildly warm to blisteringly hot. Some of them are quite similar to a thick Tabasco sauce which is what I would use for a substitute. S.C.]

Here is a recipe from my new Thai cookbook that is mainly a dip, since the shrimp are either grilled or eaten raw with the rest of the ingredients. I haven't made this yet, but the dip sounds quite similar to the Vietnamese "Nuoc Cham" (which would be good also.)

Peel shrimp, remove the center black line, leave the tail on. Clean and drain, arrange on a plate, chill for 2 hours. Pound the chili and garlic until fine. Place into a small bowl. Mix sugar, salt and hot water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over pounded chili and garlic. Add lime juice and hot sauce, stir and top with chopped coriander.

To Serve: Thread the shrimp onto the sticks. Cook over charcoal until done to satisfaction. Dip in prepared sauce to taste. It can be served raw and cold.

From "Cooking Thai Food in American Kitchens, Book 2", by Malulee (Kunjara) Pinsuvana.