This dipping sauce is extremely simple to make, yet can transform a simple dish - of charcoal grilled chicken or marinated neck of pork, for example - with its complex explosion of fresh, spicy, almost smoky flavours.

Known as "Nam Jim Jaew" (Jaew dipping sauce), it is one of the three most prominent sauce accompaniments in Thailand, alongside its sweeter cousin made with fresh chillies, and the simple and omnipresent "Phrik Nam Pla" (fish sauce with fresh chillies - the Thai equivalent of salt seasoning.)

Nam Jim Jaew is centered around its heart of dried red chillies, and simply reading the ingredients will not conjure up in your mind the depth of savoury flavours in the finished sauce: take the time to try the recipe and see how easy this sauce can be, or ask us to show you how to make it during your holiday at Gecko Villa.

The very best and most flavourful versions will call for chillies to be toasted over an open flame before being pounded in a pestle and mortar into small flakes. However, these may readily be substituted by dried red chili flakes - yet do look for whole seeds in the dried chillies base and avoid finely powdered dried chillies.

1. 1 tablespoon hot chili flakes
2. 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
3. 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
4. A few rings of thinly sliced red shallots
5. 1/4 cup fish sauce
6. 5 tablespoons lime juice
7. 1 tablespoon of ground toasted rice (optional)

The ground toasted rice is made by heating raw rice grains in a dry frying pan until golden, before reducing to a rough powder with a pestle and mortar. Strictly speaking, sticky rice ("khao Nieow") grains should be used, but toasted rice powder made from raw plain rice grains can equally enhance the dish.

Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl.This sauce is best made a couple of hours before use, as the symphony of flavours develops over time. It may be stored in a refrigerator for around a week.