Prahok substitutes
Prahok substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Pla ra or Lao padaek
Same amount as the prahok
Then taste for salt
Prahok is doing three jobs at once: salt, deep fermented umami, and a coarse paste body that thickens whatever it is stirred into. The closest single swap is Thai pla ra or Lao padaek at roughly 1:1. From a regular supermarket, use 2 teaspoons of anchovy paste plus 1 teaspoon of fish sauce for each tablespoon of prahok. Plain fish sauce will do at 2 teaspoons per tablespoon, but it is thin, so a prahok dip made with it comes out watery unless you add a mashed sardine or a teaspoon of ground toasted rice to put the body back.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- prahok ktis
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of prahok | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pla ra or Lao padaekprahok ktis | Same amountThen taste for saltWorks | Works |
| 2 | Anchovy paste + fish sauceprahok ktis | 2 teaspoons anchovy paste + 1 teaspoon fish sauce per 1 tablespoon prahokTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Toasted shrimp paste (kapi or mam tom)kroeung pastes | 2 teaspoons toasted shrimp paste per 1 tablespoon prahokTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Mashed oil-packed sardines or salted anchovy filletsprahok ktis | 1 tablespoon mashed sardine + ¼ teaspoon salt per 1 tablespoon prahokTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Fish sauce alonesoups | 2 teaspoons fish sauce per 1 tablespoon prahokYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Red miso + soy sauce, with no fermented fishvegetarian versions | 2 teaspoons red miso + ½ teaspoon soy sauce per 1 tablespoon prahokTweak it | Tweak it |
Pla ra or Lao padaek
similar taste and texture
The nearest relative on any shelf. Both are salted freshwater fish ferments used in the same way, so they slot straight into kroeung pastes, samlor korko and dipping sauces.
- Best for
- prahok ktis, samlor soups, kroeung curry pastes, dipping sauces
The funk profile is very close, so this is the swap that keeps the dish tasting like itself. The difference is consistency: pla ra is looser and wetter than prahok, so cut a tablespoon of other liquid from the recipe. Padaek is also a touch more sour, which usually helps rather than hurts.
Anchovy paste + fish sauce
different taste, similar texture
Mash them together into a smooth paste before adding to the pan. The anchovy paste covers the body and the oily fish depth, the fish sauce covers the salty ferment.
- Best for
- prahok ktis, stir-fried greens, marinades, soups
This is the practical answer for most Western kitchens and it genuinely works. The gap is aroma: anchovy paste is straightforwardly salty and fishy, where prahok has a barnyard pungency behind it. A prahok ktis made this way tastes like a very good anchovy and pork dip rather than the real article, which is not a bad place to land.
Toasted shrimp paste (kapi or mam tom)
different taste, similar texture
Toast it wrapped in foil in a dry pan for a minute a side first, then mash it in. Untoasted shrimp paste tastes sour and raw in Khmer dishes.
- Best for
- kroeung pastes, curries, stir-fries, dips
Pungency arrives in full, which is the main thing. But it arrives from shrimp, so the dish tastes sweeter and more perfumed and less mineral and fishy. Shrimp paste is also stronger by volume than prahok, so start with half and build up rather than matching spoon for spoon.
Mashed oil-packed sardines or salted anchovy fillets
different taste, similar texture
Mash the fish to a paste with the back of a spoon, salt included, then fry it in the oil at the start of the dish until it breaks down.
- Best for
- prahok ktis, braises, vegetable stir-fries
This gets the two structural things right: real fish flesh, and a thick paste that clings to pork or vegetables. What is entirely absent is fermentation, so the flavor is clean and oily instead of aged and funky. Half a teaspoon of fish sauce alongside closes maybe half the gap.
Fish sauce alone
different taste and texture
The last resort, and the one nearly everyone ends up using. Use less than the prahok volume because bottled fish sauce carries more salt per spoon.
- Best for
- soups, stir-fries, marinades, weeknight cooking
Salt and savoriness are covered, and nothing else is. In a soup you will barely notice, because the broth provides the body. In a dip or a paste you will notice immediately, because the mixture stays loose and thin. Stir in a teaspoon of ground toasted rice or a mashed sardine to fix the consistency.
Red miso + soy sauce, with no fermented fish
different taste, similar texture
For vegetarian cooking or for anyone who simply will not have fermented fish in the house. Whisk with a teaspoon of water and add early so it cooks into the dish.
- Best for
- vegetarian versions, soups, braises
Honest assessment: this is the least accurate option here. It brings salt, thickness and a long fermented finish, and none of the marine funk that defines prahok, so the dish tastes savory and Japanese-leaning rather than Khmer. Crumbled toasted nori or a pinch of kelp powder nudges it toward the sea.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave prahok out?
In a soup or curry, yes, if you replace the salt and savoriness with fish sauce, or salt plus a little anchovy paste, and accept that the dish will taste noticeably milder and rounder. In prahok ktis, the dip literally named after it, leaving it out means making a different dish, so use pla ra or anchovy paste instead.
Is prahok the same as shrimp paste?
No. Prahok is fermented freshwater fish: coarse, mineral and fishy. Shrimp paste, whether Thai kapi or Vietnamese mam tom, is fermented shrimp, which is sweeter, more perfumed and stronger by volume. Shrimp paste can stand in for prahok, but use about two thirds as much and toast it first.
How strong is prahok compared to fish sauce?
Considerably stronger in aroma and far thicker in body, though the two are similar in saltiness once you account for volume. The important difference is that fish sauce is a strained liquid seasoning while prahok is the whole fermented mash, so prahok also thickens and adds texture.
Where can I buy prahok?
Cambodian and some Vietnamese or Lao grocers, usually in a sealed jar in the condiment section. If your area has none, Thai pla ra or Lao padaek from a Thai grocer is the closest thing you can buy, and Filipino bagoong isda is the next step out.
Does prahok smell as strong as people say?
The raw paste is genuinely pungent, and that is normal rather than a sign of spoilage. Once it is fried in oil or simmered into a dish, the aroma settles into something deeply savory. If the smell in your kitchen is the issue, cook with a window open and use the fry-first method.
Tips for substituting prahok
5 tips- Prahok is nearly always cooked, not stirred in raw. Frying it in oil at the start of a dish, or simmering it and straining the liquid, tames the aroma dramatically and turns the funk into savory depth. Do the same with any substitute and it will taste far more correct.
- Prahok is very salty by volume. Whenever you swap, add two thirds of the amount, taste, and adjust at the end. It is much easier to add salt than to rescue an over-salted kroeung.
- In prahok ktis the paste has to be thick enough to cling to pork and to dip raw vegetables into. If your substitute is a thin liquid, thicken the dish with a teaspoon of ground toasted rice or an extra spoonful of coconut cream reduced down.
- Lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and kaffir lime in the kroeung do more of the heavy lifting in Khmer flavor than most people realize. Getting those right matters more than matching the prahok exactly.
- Never adjust the salt or acid in a tested fermenting, pickling, curing or canning recipe by swapping prahok in or out. Altering salt and acid in preserved foods creates a genuine botulism risk, so follow the tested recipe and NCHFP guidance exactly.