The Ta-Daa! Cookbook saga continues ~ ! Part 3 of creating recipes from my cookbook!

Today we’re making a Vietnamese classic Canh Chua Cá! If you don’t know what it is let me introduce you!

Canh Chua Cá is Vietnamese sour soup indigenous to the region of southern Vietnam. It is typically made with fish, pineapple, tomatoes, bean sprouts, okra, taro stems and rice paddy herbs. They’re then infused into a bright, vivid tamarind-flavored broth!

I grew up eating this soup often with my family as I considered this a very comforting dish. It’s typically served with a bowl of rice and a plate of fish sauce with chili peppers to dip the fish in!

You may be wondering, what is tamarind?

Widely used in India, tamarind is a plump pod-like fruit with a sweet, tangy flavor that is indigenous to tropical Africa. The word tamarind itself is derived from the Arabic tamar hind, meaning “Indian date.” It’s flavors ranges from a sweet and sour to a tangy and tart flavor!

In my recipe since it’s super rare and tricky to find fresh tamarind, (let alone get it ready to make into a soup) we’ve using tamarind powder and you can find these at most Asian markets! Any brand will usually do but this one is my favorite. Since this soup is super subjective, you can add more or less into the recipe depending on your taste palate. I like mine super sweet and sour. Lol. But start small and taste as you add more.

However I highly recommend pairing it with my Cá Kho recipe! Typically these two dishes are served together hand in hand during a meal. The sweet, sticky savory catfish pairs so well with the sweet/sour flavors of the tamarind soup! They’re almost contrasting and it’s such a nostalgic flavor explosion!

Both recipes are also in my cookbook!

I hope you enjoy it and let me know if you ever try making it!

Canh Chua Cá aka Sour Fish Soup (Cookbook Recipe)

Recipe by Jen H. DaoCourse: Blog, Recipes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb catfish steaks

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 5 cloves garlic minced

• 2 tomatoes (quartered)

• 1 c pineapple (cut into chunks)

• 2 taro stems (sliced)

• handful okra (halved)

• handful bean sprouts

• rice patty herbs (roughly chopped)

• 7 c water or chicken stock

• 1 tbsp oil

• 3-4 tbsp Canh Chua soup base/Tamarind
  soup mix

• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar

• 4 tbsp fish sauce (more/less to taste)

• 1-2 birdseye chili (sliced)

Directions

• Marinate catfish with 2 tbsp of fish sauce for 10 mins
• Heat up oil in a pan & stir fry your garlic for 30 secs. Then add the catfish & sear both sides for 1-2 mins.
• Add the water/chicken broth, tomatoes, pineapple, okra & taro stems. Bring to a boil. Remove catfish to prevent overcooking.
• Add canh chua soup base/tamarind, sugar & fish sauce (to taste)
• Cook for 3-4 mins on low, then add bean sprouts & herbs.
• Cook for another 1 min and top with sliced chilies. Serve with rice and a side of fish sauce.

Recipe Video