Thai Fish (With Tamarind Sauce)
This Thai fish recipe features pan-seared Tilapia and a delicious tamarind-based sauce. It's a quick and easy weeknight meal for the family.
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Ingredients
- 6 fillets Tilapia
- ¼ cup cooking oil (see notes)
- 2 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 cup tamarind water (see notes)
- ½ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- ¼ cup fish sauce (see notes)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (see notes)
- 2 tablespoon julienned ginger
- 4 green onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (see notes)
- ¼ cup water
Garnish
- 2 tablespoon raw peanuts (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- ¼ cup basil microgreens (see notes)
Instructions
- Chop the peanuts in a handheld nut grinder and dry roast them in a nonstick pan. Set aside for later.
- Julienne the ginger, chop the green onions, and slice the bell pepper into thin slivers, discarding the seeds.
- Whisk the tamarind, soy sauce, fish sauce, and dark brown sugar in a bowl and set aside.
- Mix the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
- Heat the cooking oil in a pan and sear the tilapia fillets until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees farenheit.
- Set them aside and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil.
- Saute the garlic in this oil for 30 seconds.
- Add the tamarind mixture to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Add ⅔ of the bell peppers, ginger, and green onions to the sauce, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Uncover, turn the flame to high, and use the prepared cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. (see notes)
- Plate the cooked fish in a shallow dish and pour this sauce over it.
Garnish
- Add the remaining ingredients in layers, starting with the bell peppers, then green onions, ginger, chopped nuts, sesame seeds, and basil.
Notes
Cooking oil - I use a neutral cooking oil for this recipe, like canola, avocado, sunflower, or peanut oil. I recommend pan-searing the fish in one of these, but you can use sesame oil for the sauce for a bolder Thai flavor.
Tamarind sauce - I like to use fresh tamarind pulp (linked in the post above) and make my tamarind water from scratch. Break away a quarter of the tamarind block and soak it in 1 cup of boiling water. Once the water is at room temperature, run the mixture through a sieve and discard the seeds. I feel it tastes less metallic than a storebought paste. If you use a paste, mix two tablespoons with 1 cup of hot water and use.
Soy sauce - I like to use low-sodium soy sauce, but you can use regular soy sauce. If you're gluten-free, substitute with tamari or coconut aminos.
Fish sauce - A little fish sauce is essential to the recipe, but if you dislike the smell, use the milder oyster sauce instead.
Brown sugar—I like to use dark brown sugar for best results. If the recipe is too sour for your liking, double the sugar to help balance the flavor.
Cornstarch - Always make a slurry of cornstarch with water and completely dissolve the powder for a smoother sauce. When you add this slurry, the sauce should have reached a boil, and you must stir constantly to thicken it. As soon as you reach the desired consistency, turn the stove off.
Peanuts - I like to use raw peanuts and roast them myself. If you prefer, you can use store-bought, unsalted roasted peanuts.
Microgreens - I like to use basil microgreens for their nutritional value. Feel free to use 6-8 chopped Thai basil leaves instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 57gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 2905mgPotassium: 1073mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 1132IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 3mg
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