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Choo chee pla (fish in thick red curry)
Choo chee pla (ฉู่ฉี่ปลา): crisp-fried fish under a thick red curry and coconut cream sauce
Riverside restaurants along the Chao Phraya, from Nonthaburi down to Samut Prakan, serve choo chee as a centrepiece for shared dinners: a crisp-fried fish smothered in a sauce so reduced it barely moves, red with curry paste, rich with coconut cream and scattered with threads of kaffir lime leaf. The name copies the sizzle of paste hitting hot cream. It is sweeter and thicker than a soupy gaeng phet, so serve plenty of jasmine rice and a clear soup or plain vegetables alongside. Chef's tip: fry the fish only after the sauce is ready and pour it over at the table; fish left to sit in the sauce goes soggy within minutes.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish filletssea bass, snapper or cod, skin on, cut into 4 pieces
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 ¼ cups neutral oilfor shallow frying
For the sauce
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 3 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 tbsp palm sugargrated
- 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
- 6 kaffir lime leavesmidribs removed, shredded into fine threads
- 1 long red chillisliced on the diagonal
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅓ lb firm white fish fillets very dry, season with ½ tsp salt and dust all over with 3 tbsp tapioca starch, shaking off the excess.
3 minStep 2: Make the sauce: boil two-thirds of ¾ cup coconut cream in a wok over a medium heat until it thickens and the oil splits out, 3–4 minutes.
4 minStep 3: Add 3 tbsp red curry paste and fry, stirring, until it darkens and the oil turns red, 2–3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp palm sugar, 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce and half the 3 kaffir lime leaves and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes. Keep warm on the lowest heat.
2 minStep 5: Heat 1 ¼ cups neutral oil in a wide frying pan to about 350°F, when a pinch of starch sizzles at once. Fry the fish skin side down for 4 minutes, then turn and fry for 3–4 minutes more, until golden and crisp outside and the flesh is opaque and flakes when pressed.
8 minStep 6: Drain the fish on kitchen paper and set on a warm plate. Spoon the sauce over, drizzle with the rest of ¼ cup coconut cream, and scatter the remaining 3 kaffir lime leaves and 1 long red chilli. Serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does choo chee pla (fish in thick red curry) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of palm sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
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