Photograph of the finished Tom som pla

Thailand · Canh cá chua kiểu Isan Tom som

Tom som pla

40 min Hands-on time
EasyDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Snakehead fish Snakehead fish 3.4 lb
  • Photograph of Sour tamarind Sour tamarind 7.1 oz
  • Photograph of Lemongrass Lemongrass 5.6 oz
  • Photograph of Shallots Shallots 2
  • Photograph of Ginger Ginger 3.5 oz
  • Photograph of Fish sauce Fish sauce ⅓ cup
  • Photograph of Spring onion Spring onion 4.9 oz
  • Photograph of Green bird's eye chillies Green bird's eye chillies 16
  • Photograph of Sugar Sugar 1.4 oz
  • Photograph of Sawtooth coriander Sawtooth coriander 3.5 oz

Method

  1. 1 Grind shallots with ginger and some lemongrass until a coarse paste is formed.
  2. 2 Boil water with the crushed mixture for 8 minutes, then pour in the tamarind juice and season with fish sauce and sugar.
  3. 3 Tom som gets its sourness from tamarind and does not use galangal or lime leaves like tom yum.
  4. 4 Cut the snakehead fish into thick pieces and drop them into gently simmering water without stirring.
  5. 5 Cook for 8 minutes, skimming off only the foam to keep the broth clear.
  6. 6 Sprinkle with plenty of chopped scallions, sawtooth coriander, and crushed chili peppers when you turn off the heat.

With an appliance

  • Oven 39 min

    Replace steps 4–5: Place the fish fillet in a covered pot on the middle rack of a 180-degree oven for 7 minutes; reduce by about 1 minute, the heat will surround the fish, cooking it evenly without needing to stir or skim off any foam, and the fillet will hold its shape better. The tamarind sauce and spices from step 2 should remain simmered on the stovetop.

Start cooking