Canh Chua Cá

Name: Canh Chua Cá
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2 Bird's Eye Chilis, sliced; adjust to taste; 1/2 small Pineapple, About 200 g, peeled, cored, cut into bite-size wedges; 2 medium Tomatoes, cut into wedges; 8 pods of Okra, trimmed and halved; 200g Bean Sprouts, rinsed and drained; 200g Taro Stem, bạc hà, peeled and cut into 1 cm slices; 1 handful of Rice Paddy Herb, ngò om, roughly chopped; 3 1/2 sprigs of Sawtooth Coriander, ngò gai, thinly sliced; 2 Scallions, sliced; 1 tbsp Neutral Cooking Oil; 3 cloves of Garlic, sliced; 1 small Shallots, sliced; 700g Catfish Steak, Bone-in, cut into 3–4 cm pieces; 1.5 l Water; 60g Tamarind Pulp, me chua, soaked in warm water and strained for juice; 3 tbsp Fish Sauce; 1 1/2 tbsp Sugar; 1 tsp Salt; Some Lime, Wedges, to serve (optional)

Canh Chua Cá is a bright, comforting Vietnamese sour fish soup that balances tangy tamarind, sweet pineapple, and fresh herbs with tender catfish. The broth is lively and aromatic, finished with crisp vegetables and a splash of lime for a refreshing, homey bowl perfect with steamed rice.

Canh Chua Cá is a bright, comforting Vietnamese sour fish soup that balances tangy tamarind, sweet pineapple, and fresh herbs with... Show more

Traditional Vietnamese Recipe

Health Grade

A · Excellent

Rating

4.1

Time

40 min

Price

2,13 €

Calories

375 kcal

low calorie

healthy

nutritious

one pot

Method

Prep everything

Cut the Catfish Steak into 3–4 cm bone-in pieces if needed, then pat dry. Slice the Bird's Eye Chili, Garlic, and Shallots. Peel and cut the Pineapple into bite-size wedges, cut the Tomato into wedges, trim and halve the Okra, and peel and slice the Taro Stem into 1 cm rounds. Rinse and drain the Bean Sprouts, roughly chop the Rice Paddy Herb, thinly slice the Sawtooth Coriander, and slice the Scallion. Soak the Tamarind Pulp in a small bowl with a splash of warm Water for 5 minutes, then mash and strain it to make the sour juice; while it softens, keep finishing the chopping.

Sauté aromatics

Heat the Neutral Cooking Oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the sliced chili, garlic, and shallots, then stir for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and the shallots look translucent, not browned.

Build the broth

Pour in the remaining water, then stir in the tamarind juice, Fish Sauce, Sugar, and Salt. Bring the broth to a boil, gently slide in the catfish pieces, then lower to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam. The broth should taste bright, savory, and lightly sweet.

Cook the vegetables

Add the pineapple, tomato, taro stem, and okra. Simmer for 3 minutes until the vegetables are just tender, then stir in the bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute more so they stay crisp-tender.

Finish and serve

Turn off the heat and stir in the rice paddy herb, sawtooth coriander, and scallion. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with Lime wedges on the side for extra brightness, if you like.