Thai cuisine · Soups & Stews

Tom Som Pla

Sweet-and-sour fish soup with tamarind, plenty of ginger and turmeric, in which fish pieces poach only briefly.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600 g white fish fillet (e.g. cod)
• 1.2 l chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 piece ginger (5 cm)
• 4 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 shallots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• 3 Thai chilies
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 1/2 bunch cilantro

Instructions

1. Cut the fish fillet into 4 cm pieces, sprinkle with a little salt and refrigerate; peel the ginger and cut into fine matchsticks.
2. Pound the shallots, garlic, turmeric and 2 Thai chilies in a mortar into a fine paste – this takes about 5 min and forms the soup's flavor base.
3. Bring the broth to a boil, stir in the paste, and simmer uncovered for 8–10 min until the broth turns golden yellow and smells distinctly of ginger.
4. Add the tamarind paste, fish sauce and palm sugar and season until sour and sweet are balanced and the soup looks lightly thickened.
5. Reduce to low heat, add the fish pieces and let them poach for 4–5 min until the flesh is white and glossy – don't stir anymore or it will fall apart.
6. Sprinkle with the remaining chili, spring onion pieces and cilantro, and serve immediately with jasmine rice.