THAI FRIED FISH
Bring the flavors of Thailand to your table with this fish recipe, topped with a spicy and tangy sauce. This would be a great treat to have as your iftaar meal as its easy to prep and cooks in just under 30 minutes.
This Thai Fried Fish is so delicious you might just find it addictive. Any firm, white-fleshed fish fillets can be used for this recipe - hammour is excellent, but you can also use cod, red snapper, or tilapia.
It should take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish to prepare this dish, including frying the fish fillet, and preparing the delicious sauce. If you are like me, you will want to make this sauce again and again and pair it with just about anything. We had it with Thai sticky rice 🤤.
Thai cooking is simple and generally described as a harmony of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors. Thai dishes are popularly known to be on the spicy side as chilies are commonly used. Skilful blending of fresh herbs mellows and rounds out the heat.
By itself, fried fish does not always excite me. But pair fried fish with a good sauce, and I get an adrenalin rush. Cooked with tamarind paste, brown sugar, fish sauce and topped with fried basil leaves and chilies, this Thai fried fish is sweet and sour and totally delicious.
INGREDIENTS
450 grams Hammour fillets, preferably white fish
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1⁄2 cup brown sugar and 2 tbsp water
2 1⁄2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 packet of ready to use Thai green curry paste ( available in all supermarkets in the ethnic aisle) approximately 60 gms
— 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1 red chilli, fresh, large
20 thai basil leaves and few red chillies to garnish
COOKING METHOD
Pour oil into a saucepan or frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the curry paste and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir well to mix. Pour in the water now. Use the back of the spatula to break sugar pieces till dissolved. Simmer for about 5 minutes stirring to ensure that the mixture does not catch on the bottom of the pan. Add tamarind paste and continue to simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in fish sauce and stir. Simmer for 2 more minutes before removing from heat. Set aside.
Place oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add basil leaves to the hot oil, being very careful as the oil will spit and splutter, and fry till crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove basil leaves. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain.
Now take fish and pat dry. Place in a pan with hot oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove carefully and place in the serving plate. Generously pour the sauce over the fish and sprinkle over with basil leaves. Chop the red chillies and garnish on top, Serve.