Pla Rad Prik is a whole fish, fried to crispy and topped with a sweet spicy and tangy sauce made with chilies, garlic, sugar and tamarind.
This is one of our favorite Thai dishes which we love to order in every Thai restaurant even if it’s not on the menu. Many a chef has complied but some use filets instead of the whole fish as an alternate option. You can try this option too if you are like my girl who gets creeped out with the eye staring from the whole fish on a dish in the center of the table;)
Finally now I make this fish at home with a recipe I borrowed from my friend Chef Uyen Pham and adopted to my taste. I pair this dish with Jasmine white rice or noodles and sautéed cabbage or green beans.
Ingredients
1 whole fish, cleaned and scaled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp Montreal steak seasoning (optional)
8-10 Thai birds eye Red Chilies
6 cloves garlic
2 shallots
4 table spoon canola oil or as needed for frying
3 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
2.5 tablespoon Palm sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoon chopped garlic chives or green onions for garnish
Method:
- Remove the scales and clean the guts out of the fish. You can use any fish, I have used Trout, Bass, and Tilapia at different occasions
- Wash and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Make 3-4 deep slits into both sides of the fish.
- Rub the fish with Montreal Steak Seasoning, which has some garlic powder and red pepper flakes besides salt and pepper, or simple salt and pepper.
- In a mortar-pestle smash the Thai chilies, garlic and shallots to a course paste.
- Take a small lemon size ball of fresh tamarind and combine with hot water and squish it to create a tamarind concentrate, stain and set aside. You may also use the ready made concentrate, but the proportions and concentration are varied for each brand so add in small portions to avoid over sourness.
- Deep fry the fish on medium heat until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside the fish on a platter.
- In a small skillet add some oil. You can use the same oil in which you fried your fish earlier to make your sauce. Add the course paste of the chilies, garlic and shallots to the oil and saute. Add the tamarind juice concentrate, palm sugar, fish sauce and water and let it simmer to form a syrup consistency. Adjust seasonings, add habanero or more red chilies to increase the heat if desired.
- Now pour this sweet spicy and tangy sauce inside and on top of the crisp fish
- Garnish with garlic chives or green onions.
