Prepare khao man gai dipping sauce and compare documented bottled formulations

What khao man gai sauce is for

Khao man gai, the Thai take on Hainanese chicken rice, is served with a dipping sauce built on taojiew (เต้าเจี้ยว), a Thai fermented soybean paste. In Thai this sauce is called nam jim tao jiew. It is spooned over or used as a dip for the poached chicken and rice. You can make it at home in a few minutes, or buy a bottled chicken rice sauce that its maker sells for direct use as a dipping sauce.

Taojiew is not the same thing as liquid soy sauce. Pailin of Hot Thai Kitchen describes it as a pourable paste with some visible soybeans in it. That paste is what gives the sauce its body and its fermented-soy base. If a recipe calls for soybean paste or soybean sauce, it means this ingredient, not a bottle of regular soy sauce.

Some families serve other sauces with chicken rice. Pailin's grandmother made a garlic, chili and lime sauce, but Pailin describes it as a family invention, separate from the classic taojiew sauce. This guide covers the taojiew-based version.

Ingredients for a classic taojiew sauce

Pailin's classic nam jim tao jiew uses these quantities:

• 2 tbsp chopped ginger
• 2 Thai chilies
• 3 tbsp Thai fermented soybean paste (taojiew)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 to 2 tbsp Thai black soy sauce
• 1 tbsp regular soy sauce
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 sprigs cilantro (optional)

For equipment, you need a mortar and pestle for the ginger and chilies, plus a bowl and spoon for stirring. Pailin names Healthy Boy as an example of a taojiew brand found in export markets. When shopping, look for a paste with visible beans rather than a thin, uniform liquid.

How to make khao man gai sauce, step by step

• 1. Pound the ginger and chilies together in a mortar.
• 2. Add the soybean paste, sugar, black soy sauce, regular soy sauce and vinegar.
• 3. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• 4. If you are using cilantro, add it last.

The sauce is not cooked. The clearest sign it is ready is that the sugar has fully dissolved, so you no longer see or feel undissolved grains when you stir. The recipe does not set a specific consistency or taste target. Judge the finished sauce against the taojiew you started with: it should still look like a pourable sauce with some bean pieces in it.

When to change the recipe

Change the recipe based on which soy products you actually have:

• Chinese dark soy sauce instead of Thai black soy: Pailin specifies 1 tbsp dark soy and reducing the regular soy sauce by ½ tbsp.
• Sweet soy sauce instead of black soy: reduce the sugar. Pailin does not give an exact amount, so cut the sugar and adjust from there.
• No taojiew: miso or doenjang can stand in, but Pailin notes they are different products. You will need to thin them and adjust the salt, so expect a different result.

A blended alternative

The World of Thai Food recipe takes a different route. It blends soybean sauce with ginger, chilies, garlic, rice vinegar, sugar, sweet soy sauce and lime, also without heating. Compared with Pailin's version, it adds garlic and lime, uses rice vinegar, and includes sweet soy. Its 180 ml soybean-sauce quantity is a recipe amount and does not match any particular commercial bottle size.

Illustrative scaling example: to make half of that recipe, use 90 ml of soybean sauce (half of 180 ml) and halve the remaining ingredients in the same proportion.

Comparing bottled chicken rice sauces

Bottled sauces differ in which fermented-soy ingredient they use, how they are sweetened, and what else they contain. Two documented examples:

Feature	Pantai chicken rice sauce	Nong's sauce (pictured 2021 label)
Fermented soy	Soybean paste, listed at 30%	Fermented soybean, plus soy sauce
Sweeteners	Sugar	Three named sugars
Aromatics	Garlic, chili, ginger	Ginger, garlic, chilies, pandan
Other listed ingredients	Water, black soy, acidity regulators, flavor enhancers, gellan gum	Vinegar
Declared allergens	Check the bottle label	Soybeans, wheat, coconut
Sizes	215 g / 200 ml and 850 g / 730 ml	355 ml
Use and handling	Sold for direct use as a dipping sauce	Shake before use; refrigerate after opening

The Nong's details come from one photographed label dated 2021. Current bottles may have a different formula, so check the label on the bottle you buy, especially if you are avoiding wheat, soy or coconut.

Choosing a bottle

When comparing bottles in a store or online listing, record the same few points for each one. That way you are comparing like with like rather than relying on the product name:

• Exact product name and label version or date
• Net quantity
• The fermented-soy ingredient and where it falls in the ingredient list
• Sweeteners
• Declared allergens
• Handling instructions, such as shaking before use or refrigerating after opening

A bottle that lists soybean paste or fermented soybean near the top of the ingredients is closest to a homemade taojiew sauce. Thickeners, acidity regulators and flavor enhancers indicate a shelf-stable commercial product, not a home recipe. Follow the storage instructions printed on the specific bottle you buy.