Fish with tom yam sauce recipe

ingredients

• 2 stalks Wild Ginger Flower Buds or Torch Ginger (Bunga Kantan)
• 5 stalks lemongrass
• 200 gr instant tom yam paste
• 30 gr galangal
• 4 salam leaves
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 10 gr bird’s eye chili
• 1/2 tomato
• 1 cup loosely packed vietnamese mint / coriander
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups water
• 500 gr (3 pcs) round scad / other type of fish
• 1 cup cooking oil for deep frying fish + 2 tablespoons cooking oil for stir frying spices

instructions

• Cut wild ginger flower buds into two halves, length wise. Remove the first couple of sheets of the lemongrass, cut off the top part – only use the first 5 inch of the stalks. Wash galangal (to be used whole)
• Wash the fish and cut off the heads. Pat dry
• Heat 1 cup cooking oil in pan. Deep fry fish till dry, about 3 – 4 minutes. Remove and pat dry of any excess oil
• Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a wok / pan. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, salam leaves, galangal and chili. Stir fry for 2 minutes
• Add tom yam paste and wild ginger flower buds. Cook for another 2 minutes
• Stir in water, vietnamese mint and sugar. Mix well
• Cover and simmer for 3 minutes
• Add fish. Stir well till coated with the sauce
• Serve with steamed rice

note

• Any type of fish can be used
• If a milder version is preferred, reduce the amount of the paste and the chili. 
• Grill method can also be used instead of deep frying