Gaeng Som Pla

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 6 large chili peppers, dried
• 5 shallots, 6 krachai (fingerroot)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste (tamarind pulp)
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• 500 g fish fillet(s)
• 300 g beans (snake beans), cleaned
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 50 ml water, warm
• 1 liter of water

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Thai fish soup with tamarind

Soak the dried chilies in warm water for a while, then chop them finely. Chop 4 fingerroots and crush them in a mortar with the chilies and salt. Then add the shrimp paste and shallots and crush them into a paste. Cut the remaining two fingerroots into very thin rings. Soak the tamarind pulp in approximately 50 ml of warm water. After 10 minutes, press it through a sieve and collect the fiber- and stone-free tamarind juice. Bring 1 liter of water to a boil in a pot. Add the mixed chili paste, 3 tablespoons of the reserved tamarind juice, fish sauce, sugar, snake beans, and the fingerroots, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then add the fish fillet and let it simmer until tender (takes about 3 minutes). Finally, season to taste with tamarind juice, fish sauce, and sugar – that’s it! Note: With several other Thai dishes, the soup is enough for 4 to 6 people.