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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Snakehead Fish Soup For 4 people
Snakehead fish 300 gr Sour bamboo shoots 100 gr Okra 7 pieces Tomato 1 piece Pineapple 1/4 piece Green onion 1 stalk Rice paddy herb A little Chili powder 1 teaspoon Shallot 4 bulbs Garlic 1 bulb Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Common seasoning A little (salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate/ seasoning powder/ pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh, quality snakehead fish
- To make a delicious snakehead fish hot pot, you should choose to buy wild fish, as this type is naturally firmer and tastier.
You can buy live snakehead fish to prepare at home, fillet it, and grind the meat to make fish cakes or purchase pre-prepared and ground fish at supermarkets. - For fresh, live snakehead fish: You should choose fish with clear eyes, shiny scales, firm body, and thick flesh for easier filleting.
- For pre-ground snakehead fish: you should choose fish meat that is bright, pink or light pink, not discolored or greenish, and has no strange odor.
- When buying pre-ground fish, you should choose to buy from trusted places or reputable sellers to avoid the situation where snakehead fish is mixed with different, less tasty types of fish.
See details: How to choose fresh, quality snakehead fish
How to choose fresh pineapple
- Choose pineapples that have a bright yellow color, sometimes mixed with green spots, as these are ripe and delicious fruits.
- You should select those with large eyes, as these are naturally ripened fruits and when peeling – removing the eyes, you will not lose too much flesh.
- When you touch it, you should feel a moderate softness, the skin of ripe pineapples is usually slightly wrinkled.
- Do not buy fruits that are indented when pressed, meaning that this pineapple is overripe.
See details: How to choose fresh pineapple
How to choose fresh, juicy tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes with a bright red outer skin, evenly colored. The outer skin should be intact, without scratches, and plump, indicating fresh tomatoes.
- Fresh, delicious tomatoes still have their stems intact, and the stems should look fresh and not wilted.
- You should avoid buying tomatoes that have no scent, as those are likely artificially ripened.
See details: How to choose fresh, juicy tomatoes
How to choose fresh, delicious sour bamboo shoots
- Good sour bamboo shoots, not soaked in chemicals, will have an ivory white color.
- Choose pieces that are firm, not easily broken, and do not have an overly shiny appearance.
- They should have a light, characteristic aroma of bamboo shoots and no chemical smell.
- If you find the sour bamboo shoots too soft, not intact, and the soaking water has turned cloudy, has scum, and an unusual smell, then you should not buy them.
- Additionally, to ensure hygiene and safety, you can also make sour bamboo shoots at home with the recipe shared by TasteVN.
How to make Sour Fish Soup with Snakehead Fish
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Grate and marinate the fish paste
You use a knife to fillet the fish, then use a spoon to scrape along the direction of the fish bones to get the fish meat and limit the bones getting stuck in the fish meat.
Put the fish into a mortar, marinate with 1 clove of garlic and 2 shallots minced, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of chili powder (if you like it spicy), a little pepper, then mix well.
Then use a pestle to pound for about 5 – 10 minutes until the fish paste is sticky and feels heavy to the touch. Proceed to shape into small round balls.
Tip:Pounding the fish paste helps it become more chewy and delicious.
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Prepare the other ingredients
Wash all the ingredients thoroughly. Cut off the stem of the okra and halve the older pods.
Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and slice the pineapple into thin pieces about 1/2 finger length.
Rinse the sour bamboo shoots with water twice to reduce the sourness, then squeeze out the water and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Chop the green onions and cilantro finely.
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Cook the soup
Put a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and sauté 2 sliced shallots until fragrant and golden.
Next, add the fish balls and stir-fry or fry until golden brown, then add the pineapple and stir for about 2 minutes.
Then, add the tomatoes and sour bamboo shoots, stir-fry for another 3 minutes, then pour in 2 liters of water and bring to a boil.
When the water boils, season with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and boil for about 3 minutes.
Adjust the seasoning to taste, sprinkle pepper and add green onions, cilantro, and turn off the heat.
Tip
- If you prefer a sourer taste, you can add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Add fresh sliced chili if you like it spicy.
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Final Product
The sour bamboo shoot fish soup is extremely simple, isn’t it? The broth is sweet with a slight sour taste, along with the fish being chewy and the bamboo shoots being crunchy.
This dish pairs well with white rice or fresh noodles, making it very appetizing.
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In just a few minutes, the dish sour bamboo shoot soup with snakehead fish will be ready, right? Give it a try and share your feelings with TasteVN. Wishing you success!
*Source of the recipe and images shared from Facebook: Như Hà Nguyễn.
