Vietnamese Tamarind Catfish Soup (Canh Chua Ca)
Vietnamese tamarind catfish soup is a dish you won’t usually find in restaurants in the U.S.
- 4 cups water
- 20 grams tamarind pulp
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 large garlic cloves (peel and finely mince)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb catfish steaks (1-inch thickness)
- ½ cup sliced pineapples
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder or mushroom seasoning powder
- 2 cups okra (sliced at a diagonal) and/or elephant ear stems (peeled and sliced at a diagonal)
- 2 large tomatoes (about ½ lb, slice into thick wedges)
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup finely chopped herbs (Thai basil leaves, rice paddy herbs or culantro)
- Red Thai chili peppers (optional, cut at a diagonal into thin slices)
- Add water (4 cups) to a medium pot and bring it to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, soak the tamarind pulp in hot water. Pass it through a fine-mesh sieve to get a smooth paste. Make sure to scrap the bottom of the sieve to get the paste that’s sticking on the underside. Set aside.
- Season fish steaks with salt then set aside. To a medium skillet or pan, add oil and freshly minced garlic. Pan fry until it turns a light golden brown color. Remove the fried garlic and leave the aromatic oil in the pan. Add the fish steaks and pan fry in the aromatic oil to build an extra layer of flavor. It doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through. Set the fish aside. Add the pineapples and pan fry those at well. A quick sear on high heat intensifies the pineapple’s flavor. Set pineapples aside.
- When the pot comes to a boil, add the fish, pineapples, and tamarind pulp. Let it cook together for 10 minutes to get the flavors to meld together.
- Season the soup with fish sauce, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder/mushroom seasoning powder. Adjust the taste to your preference.
- Start with the bulkier ones like okra/elephant ear stems and tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Add lighter vegetables next, such as bean sprouts. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Ladle canh chua into a serving bowl and garnish with finely sliced rice paddy herb, then top with fried garlic and sliced chili peppers if you like it spicy. Serve with steamed rice. You can also serve fish sauce, straight from the bottle, with thinly sliced chili peppers on the side for dipping the fish.
To enjoy it, you’d need to know someone who can make traditional Vietnamese home-cooked dishes or learn to make them yourself. Good news. I can help you with the latter.
What is Canh Chua Ca?
Canh Chua Cá, or “sour fish soup,” is a quintessential Vietnamese soup side dish that accompanies steamed rice.
It’s a fish soup loaded with a variety of colorful vegetables and the tangy kick of tamarind.
To me, it is the epitome of traditional Vietnamese home cooking…a must-have if you love Vietnamese food and the very dish that I missed the most when I moved away from home.
This dish offers a delicate and complex balance of various flavors: tangy, savory, sweet, and (if you like) spicy.
It is probably one of the hardest soups to master as you have to find that perfect balance between all these wonderful flavors.
Make It Your Own
One of the best things about canh chua is that it is extremely versatile.
In this particular recipe, I’m using catfish but you can use other proteins, such as chicken, pork and even tofu for a vegetarian option.
You can also use many different vegetables. Don’t like a vegetable or simply can’t find it? Swap it out for something else.
I generally like to a include a variety of vegetables from each color group to make the soup vibrant and visually appealing.
