Delicious and Unique Sweet and Sour Sauce Red Tilapia Recipe, Irresistible Taste

How to prepare Red Tilapia with Tamarind Sauce

• 1

  Prepare the red tilapia

  To keep the fish clean and not fishy, when buying the fish, scale it clean and remove the guts. Place the fish in a basin and wash it with a little vinegar and salt, using a knife to scrape off the slime.

  Then rinse it thoroughly with water and let it drain, lightly score the fish a few times to help it cook faster and crispier when frying.

  How to clean fish to remove slime and fishy smell:

  • Use salt or rice water: After cleaning the fish, you can rub it with salt or soak it in rice water for about 15 minutes to eliminate the fishy smell.
  • Use lemon and vinegar: You can dilute vinegar with cold water or lemon with cold water, soaking for about 5 minutes will quickly remove the fishy smell. This method is very useful for slippery fish types.
  • Use white wine: Use diluted white wine to marinate the fish for about 2 minutes and then dry it; this will reduce the fishy smell. Additionally, when preparing steamed fish, add a little white wine to the steaming water, the aroma of the wine will help eliminate the fishy smell.
  • Use spices: Utilize spices such as pepper, onion, chili, ginger, celery,… to reduce the fishy smell. If you don’t mind the smell of Vietnamese coriander, you can rub it with the fish to get rid of the fishy smell!

  

  
• 2

  Frying Fish

  Place a pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium, add 200ml of cooking oil to the pan and wait for the oil to heat up.

  To keep the fish crispy and prevent oil splatter when frying, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the pan when the oil is hot and stir well. Then gently drop the fish into the hot oil and fry on low heat to ensure the fish cooks evenly inside.

  Take 2 cloves of garlic, peel them, crush them, and add to the frying oil to enhance the aroma of the fried fish. When the garlic turns golden, remove it.

  When one side of the fish is golden, flip it over and continue frying the other side until both sides are evenly golden. Then remove the fish and place it on a plate to drain the oil.

  Tips for frying fish crispy, delicious, and preventing oil splatter:

  • Make sure the fish is completely dry before frying because if it’s still wet, it will cause oil to splatter and stick to the pan.
  • When frying fish, first heat the pan before adding the cooking oil, wait for the oil to bubble before adding the fish. Otherwise, the fish will stick to the pan. Do not fry with oil that is too hot and smoking, as the fish will burn quickly while remaining raw inside.
  • The frying oil should cover about 1/3 or 1/2 of the fish, fry over medium-low heat to ensure the fish cooks evenly.
  • When frying, let one side of the fish get completely golden before flipping to fry the other side. If you flip the fish too early, it may break apart; drizzle oil over the fish while frying for it to cook golden and delicious.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Prepare the tamarind sauce

  Soak the tamarind in a bowl with 200ml of hot water for about 5 minutes, then use a spoon to mash it to extract the tamarind juice. After that, use a sieve to filter the tamarind juice.

  Take 3 cloves of garlic, peel them, crush them, and then finely chop. Next, heat a pan on medium heat, add 20ml of oil (using the oil just used to fry fish), and sauté the garlic until fragrant.

  When the garlic is golden and fragrant, add the tamarind juice, season with 2 tablespoons of chili sauce, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, stirring well to dissolve the sugar.

  Lower the heat and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, then add another tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of fish sauce, adjusting the seasoning to suit your family’s taste.

  Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thickened, then turn off the heat.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Completion

  Take the plate of fish out, drizzle the sauce over it, add fried shallots, roasted peanuts, chopped chili, and garnish with a few coriander sprigs on top, then invite the family to enjoy.

  

  
• 5

  Final Product

  Delicious tilapia in tamarind sauce with crispy fish soaked in a rich sweet and sour spicy flavor, just hearing about it sounds really tempting, right?

  Serve it with some fresh vegetables and sweet and sour fish sauce to make the dish even more perfect!