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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Steamed red tilapia is an extremely easy steamed dish to make, delicious and sweet, perfect for family gatherings on weekends. Let’s go to the kitchen to learn how to prepare this attractive dish for the family!
Ingredients for Steamed Red Tilapia For 2 people
Red tilapia 1 fish (1kg) Bottle gourd 1 fruit Chili 4 fruits Cilantro a little Green onion a little Shallot 10 bulbs Ginger 1 piece Oyster sauce 1 tablespoon Chili sauce 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (sugar/seasoning/ground pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh red tilapia
- The best red tilapia is the one that swims vigorously, has bright eyes and shiny scales. Do not choose fish that swim weakly or are abnormally bloated.
- If buying pre-prepared fish, choose those with red gills, tightly arranged scales that do not fall off, clear and slightly bulging eyes, and when pressed, the fish has elasticity.
- Conversely, do not choose fish with eyes sunken into the eye sockets; when pressed, the dent remains, indicating that the fish is spoiled and not fresh.
How to choose delicious young gourds
- Choose gourds that have green skin, freshly picked stems, are medium-sized, not too large or too small.
- Avoid fruits with yellowing skin or those that are too large, as these are overripe fruits with hard seeds, which do not taste good.
Tools needed
Steamer, knife, cutting board, bowl, spoon,…
How to prepare steamed red tilapia with gourd
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Prepare the red tilapia
Clean the red tilapia by removing the scales, gills, and guts, then rub with salt and rinse thoroughly with water.
Next, make shallow cuts on both sides of the fish at about a finger’s width apart so that the seasoning will penetrate better during marination.
How to eliminate the fishy smell of red tilapia
- First, clean the fish by scaling and gutting it very carefully. Make sure to remove any clotted blood and cloudy white patches in the belly of the fish.
- Eliminate the fishy smell by rubbing coarse salt on the fish for about 10 minutes and then rinsing it with water. Alternatively, you can dilute lemon juice and a bit of salt in water and soak the fish for about 10 minutes before rinsing it.
- You can also use vinegar or white wine to wash the fish, which will effectively help eliminate the fishy smell!
See details: How to eliminate the fishy smell of red tilapia.
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Prepare other ingredients
Peel the gourd, cut off the stem, and wash it clean. Then cut it in half.
Take one half and cut it into thin slices. The other half is cut into 4 pieces lengthwise, about the size of 2 finger joints.
Wash the green onions and cut them into pieces about 2 – 3 finger joints long. Peel the shallots. Peel the ginger, wash it clean, and cut it into strips.
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Make the sauce and marinate the fish
Mix the sauce with 1 tablespoon of seasoning, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon of chili sauce. You can adjust to your family’s taste.
Stir well to blend the sauce together, then evenly drizzle it over both sides of the fish. Make sure to spread it evenly over the fish and don’t forget to pour it inside the fish’s belly.
Let it sit for about 15 minutes to allow the seasoning to soak in.
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Steamed Fish
You take out a slightly deep plate. You arrange the sliced gourd at the bottom and intersperse the purple onions in the gaps.
Next, place the green onion tops on the layer of gourd, as this will enhance the fish’s flavor during steaming.
After that, put the red tilapia on top, remembering to evenly coat the fish with the sauce.
On top, add shredded ginger and whole chili peppers. Then, place the fish plate into the steamer.
Arrange the green onions beside the fish. The gourd cut into 4 pieces should only be placed on the steaming rack, not together with the fish.
Turn on medium heat, cover the lid, and steam for about 30 minutes until the fish is cooked.
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Final Product
The steamed red tilapia has a delicious sweet taste characteristic of the fish and is well infused with spices, making it extremely tasty. You can add some coriander and shredded chili on top for decoration after steaming.
You can enjoy the red tilapia with rice paper rolls and fresh herbs or with noodles, both of which are incredibly appealing!
See more:
Above is the guide on how to make how to make steamed red tilapia with bottle gourd that is delicious and extremely simple that you can do at home. TasteVN wishes you success!
*Refer to the recipe and images from the YouTube channel Gia đình food.
