Thai cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Choo Chee Pla

Pan-fried fish fillet under a thick red curry sauce of coconut milk and palm sugar, finished with fine strips of lime leaf.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600g firm white fish fillet
• 250g jasmine rice
• 400ml coconut milk
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 5 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 handful Thai basil
• 2 tbsp oil

Instructions

1. Rinse the jasmine rice and cook according to the package instructions; cut the fish fillet into four pieces, pat dry, salt lightly and let rest for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the tough central rib from the kaffir lime leaves and slice into paper-thin strips, and cut the chilli into thin rings.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the fish pieces over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side until golden; remove and keep warm.
4. Heat the thick coconut cream from the top of the can in the same pan and stir in the curry paste, cooking for 3–4 minutes until the red oil separates out and it smells fragrant.
5. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the palm sugar and fish sauce, and simmer uncovered for 6–8 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon; season with lime juice and stir in half of the lime leaf strips.
6. Arrange the fish on the rice, pour the thick sauce over it and scatter with the remaining lime leaf strips, chilli rings and Thai basil.