Together with TasteVN let’s cook, check out 2 ways to cook sour catfish soup with water spinach and to make fermented rice for a delicious, refreshing dish, just with very simple steps. Prepare the ingredients and try making this appealing soup right away!
1. Sour catfish soup with water spinach
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
45 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Sour catfish soup with water spinach For 4 people
Catfish 1 fish Pineapple 1 piece Tomato 2 pieces Okra 300 grams Garlic 1 bulb Water spinach 50 grams Ripe tamarind 80 grams Chili 2 pieces Lemon 2 pieces Bean sprouts 100 grams Herbs A little (cilantro/pennywort) Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Common seasoning A little (salt/sugar/seasoning powder) Cooking oil 2 tablespoons
How to choose fresh and delicious water spinach
- To choose good water spinach, select the young stems with many leaves, thick and fluffy air sacs, and bright green color just harvested so that they will be crispy and fragrant when cooked.
- Do not choose water spinach that is bruised or has turned yellow or black as this may indicate old vegetables.
How to prepare Sour Snakehead Fish Soup with Water Spinach
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Prepare the snakehead fish
Put the fish into a basin with 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Squeeze about 2 lemons to extract the juice and add it to the basin with the fish.
Use your hands to rub the entire body of the fish, use a knife to scrape off the slime on the fish’s skin, then use your hands to smooth it for about 3 minutes. Finally, rinse it thoroughly with water, and use a dry cloth to pat the fish dry.
Then, cut the fish into pieces about the length of a finger for easy eating.
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Prepare other ingredients
Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Peel and chop the pineapple. Rinse the bean sprouts, wash the water spinach with salt water, then cut into 3 – 4 pieces (discard the old parts).
Put the tamarind in a bowl, pour about 150 – 200ml of hot water over it, and use a spoon to mash the tamarind to extract the juice.
Crush the garlic, peel it, and mince it finely.
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Lightly sauté the fish
Place a pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and fry until golden and fragrant. Then, place the fish into the pot, turning it evenly on both sides until the fish begins to firm up, then lower the heat.
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Cooking sour soup
Pour 1 liter of filtered water into the pot with fish, and set the heat to medium. Add all the tamarind juice into the pot and stir well. Season with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder. After 10 minutes, when the water in the pot begins to boil, take the fish out and place it in a bowl to prevent it from breaking, and skim off the white foam from the pot.
Next, add pineapple and tomatoes first, and cook until done. Then add bean sprouts and water spinach into the pot. Use scissors to cut the chili into small pieces to add spiciness to the soup.
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Completion
First, in the bowl with fish, season with about 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and add chopped cilantro and sawtooth coriander into the bowl with fish.
When the soup pot starts boiling again, add all the fish and vegetables from the bowl into the pot. Cook for an additional 5 – 7 minutes before turning off the heat.
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Final Product
The catfish retains its tenderness and fresh sweetness. The broth has a moderate sour and spicy flavor, enhanced by a bit of heat from chili to make the dish more flavorful. The vegetables are cooked just right, so they still maintain their crispness. You can prepare an extra bowl of chili fish sauce to dip with the fish when eating with hot rice.
2. Sour Soup with Catfish and Water Spinach
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Sour Soup with Catfish and Water Spinach For 4 people
Catfish 500 gr Water Spinach 200 gr Water Hyacinth 200 gr Vietnamese Coriander 10 gr Chili 2 pieces Tamarind 20 gr Lemon Juice 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce 2 tablespoons Sugar/Salt A little
How to choose fresh and delicious water spinach
- You should choose fresh bundles of water spinach that look vibrant, with green leaves, intact stems, dry, and free from pests and wilting.
- You can lightly snap the stem of the water spinach; if it breaks easily, it is fresh. If the stems are tough and hard to snap, it is not a good choice.
- You should avoid choosing water spinach with overly brittle stems, which have dark green leaves and a shiny, smooth appearance. This type of water spinach is usually over-fertilized with nitrogen, which is not good for health.
- You should not choose bundles with excessively thick stems; instead, opt for those with moderately sized stems and small tips, as they will taste much better and crisper.
How to prepare sour catfish soup with water spinach
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Prepare the catfish
Place the catfish in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then use your hands to rub the mixture all over the fish. Use a knife to scrape off all the slime from the fish’s skin, and rinse it thoroughly with clean water until the slime is gone.
After cleaning the catfish, use a knife to cut the fish into short pieces, about 4 – 5cm long, and set aside for cooking.
Tip: You can use banana leaves to rub the entire catfish, which can effectively reduce the slime.
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Prepare other ingredients
You wash the water spinach and water hyacinth thoroughly, cut them into short sections, and let them rest until ready to cook.
Wash the coriander, then chop it finely with a knife. Slice the chili into thin pieces!
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Cook the tamarind water
Put a pot of water on the stove, bring it to a boil over medium heat, and when the water boils, add the tamarind to the pot. Cook for a few more minutes; you can use a ladle to scoop the tamarind out into a separate bowl, then mash it well to extract the tamarind juice and remove all the seeds.
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Cook the soup
Use the pot of water from the tamarind to cook the soup. After removing all the tamarind, add the cleaned catfish to the pot. Cook until the fish is firm and fully cooked, then add the tamarind juice, along with the water spinach and water hyacinth, and cook together.
Season with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, and stir well to dissolve the seasonings completely. Adjust the seasoning to your family’s taste, and remember to add chopped coriander and sliced chili into the pot before turning off the heat!
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Finished product
The sour soup has a rich sweet and sour flavor, with the catfish meat being tender and delicious, each piece of catfish is cooked just right, with firm meat. Served with water spinach and water hyacinth, making the soup even more appealing, give it a try!
How to choose fresh and delicious catfish
- You should choose live, healthy, and agile catfish with firm flesh so that the meat does not become mushy when cooked.
- You should select fish that weigh between 2 – 3 kg, with a yellow color on the belly skin, and when touched, the skin should not stick to your hand.
- You should avoid choosing dead fish, those that feel soft when pressed, or fish that are too large or too small.
How to clean catfish to remove slime and odor
- When you buy the fish, wash it clean, use salt, alcohol, vinegar, and lemon to scrub around the fish’s body to reduce slime and eliminate the fishy smell.
- After scrubbing, you can use boiling water to briefly rinse the fish to clean off the slime. Just use a little or mix it with cold water to prevent the skin from peeling off.
- You should also use a knife to remove the two blood clots located on both sides near the gills of the fish to better eliminate the fishy smell!
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With 2 ways to cook sour soup with catfish that you just shared, I hope it can help you prepare more delicious meals for your family. Wish you success with your tasty dishes!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel: CO BA MIEN TAY
