Title: Chili-&-tomato dip (nam prik num)
 Categories: Thai, Condiments, Dips
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
           Stephen Ceideburg
      2 lg Banana chilies or New
           -Mexican or yellow wax hot
           -chilies
      3 lg Shallots, peeled and halved
      5    Cloves garlic, peeled
      2    Medium-sized ripe tomatoes
           -(1/2 lb.)
      1 tb Chopped fresh cilantro
      2 tb Fish sauce
      1 tb Fresh lime juice
 
  Serve as a dip with raw vegetables or as a condiment. If the chilies
  are very hot, you may want to seed them. Dry-frying, a method of
  roasting, is simply frying without fat.
  
  Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Add whole chilies and
  dry-fry for about 4 minutes, pressing down with a wooden spoon and
  turning occasionally. Add shallots and garlic to the skillet and
  continue to dry-fry, turning occasionally. for about 5 minutes, or
  until the chili skins are blackened. Transfer the mixture to a bowl
  and cool. Add tomatoes to the skillet and dry-fry for about 5
  minutes, turning occasionally, or until the skins are blackened. Let
  cool.
  
  Remove stems from the chilies and cut in half lengthwise. (Do not
  remove skins.) Remove seeds if you prefer less heat. Core the
  tomatoes and cut into quarters. (Do not remove skins.) Place chilies,
  tomatoes, shallots and garlic in a food processor and, pulsing,
  process until the mixture is coarsely chopped and salsa-like in
  texture (not pureed). Alternatively, chop vegetables finely with a
  knife. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in cilantro,
  fish sauce and lime juice. (The dip can be prepared up to 3 days
  ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.)
  
  Makes 1 1/4 cups.
  
  7 CALORIES PER TABLESPOON: 0 G PROTEIN, 0 G FAT, 2 G CARBOHYDRATE; 12
  MG SODIUM; 0 MG CHOLESTEROL.