I came up with this riff off a traditional Chinese plum sauce one day when I made up a batch of cold rolls, and needed something to dip them in…

…a quick survey of the fruit bowl revealed nectarines, which are a tad tangier and less fragrant than their plummy cousins, and thus a perfect base for a dip to go with an array of Thai flavours and textures.

You’ll never go back to store-bought dipping sauces once you learn to master your own freshly-made home-cooked versions. You get all the flavour without any nasty chemical preservatives, less sugar than the store-bought brands, and all the pleasure of having made something impressive yourself 😉

Here’s how to whip up a batch of mouthwatering nectarine sauce to go with your Asian finger-food feasts… 😀

Flavour: Sweet and tangy

Yield: 1 small jar of sauce, enough for 2-3 meals, depending on how much you like to use

Ingredients:

• 4 nectarines
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Chop nectarines into small chunks, approximately 1cm cubed
2. Toss your nectarines, onions, garlic, ginger, chillies, sugar and soy sauce into a small saucepan, and cook over a medium heat
3. Stir as you cook, adding water as the mixture blends and thickens, developing flavour – it should take about 30 minutes to get a thick, fruity sauce with well developed flavour
4. Amateur tips:
   • Pop your sauce into a blender and blitz for a few seconds if you like it smooth; otherwise, keep it chunky
   • Thin your sauce to the consistency you like best by adding a little more water and stirring well to blend (I like my sauce pretty thick and chunky, but your preferences are your own business!)

Serve as a dipping accompaniment with fresh, crisp, crunchy cold rolls or crispy corn fritters…. yum! 😛