- Hello from Thailand, everyone! 😀😀... Today, I made a spicy curry using Tonguefish. It's a type of sea fish with a distinct characteristic: its body is flat, slender, and elongated, resembling a mango leaf. It has a local name, "Pla Lin Ma" (dog-tongue fish). The person who named it probably thought it looked flat and long like a dog's 😛. The one I'm cooking with today, I bought fresh from the market and had the seller remove the skin (its skin is quite thick) and cut it into pieces for convenience.
- This dish will be a spicy curry that emphasizes heat by adding fresh black peppercorns and fragrance with Shrubby Basil leaves. Here are the steps.
🐟 Ingredients
- 4 Tonguefish
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 1/2 tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh black peppercorns
- 1 cup Shrubby Basil leaves.
🫕 Procedure
- I'll start by preparing the Tonguefish. I simply wash it with salted water to remove the fishy smell, then rinse thoroughly with plain water several times. Let it drain.
- Next, prepare the Shrubby Basil leaves. Pick only the leaves, discarding any bruised or spoiled ones. Wash them and let them drain.
- For the fresh black peppercorns, rinse them under running water and pat dry. Cut them into short segments.
- Now, get ready to cook. Today I'm using a wok because the fish pieces are large. Pour water into the wok, add the red curry paste and shrimp paste. Stir to dissolve in the water, then place it on the stove over medium heat.
- Once the curry broth starts to boil, I'll season it first with sugar and fish sauce. Taste the flavor.
- Wait for the curry broth to boil again, then add the Tonguefish pieces one by one, distributing them evenly in the wok. Wait for the broth to boil once more without stirring.
- Add the fresh black peppercorns.
- Add the Shrubby Basil leaves, pressing them gently into the curry broth. Press lightly, be careful not to press on the fish. Tonguefish has soft flesh and can easily break apart.
- When the curry broth boils again, turn off the heat.
Dish it out and it's ready to serve.
This spicy tonguefish curry is a harmonious blend of the fish's smooth, tender flesh, which is succulent and sweetly delicate, and the bold, fiery, and aromatic broth.
- This curry offers a complete and satisfying taste experience spicy, salty, sweet, fragrant, and with perfect texture. Eaten with hot steamed rice alongside other dishes in the meal, it is truly delicious and fulfilling. Thank you for stopping by, and see you again next time. 🤗
