Ca tai tuong kho nghe rests on two things: thick fish steaks and freshly pounded turmeric. The coconut water reduces to a glaze, the pieces turn deep gold and smell of turmeric, and the dish carries a plate of white rice on its own.
The hardest part is keeping the pieces whole, since too much stirring breaks them apart. A full 15 minutes of marinating and a quick sear before the coconut water goes in firm up the flesh. During the braise, a gentle tilt of the pot replaces the chopsticks, and the flame stays low.
This batch weighs about 1.3kg, at roughly 96 calories per 100g.
Method
Clean 1kg giant gourami, remove the innards, rinse it in lightly salted water and cut it into bite sized pieces.
Peel 20g fresh turmeric, rinse it and pound or blend it to a paste.
Marinate the fish with 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced shallot and the turmeric paste for 15 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil, fry the remaining shallot and garlic until fragrant, then add the fish and turn it gently to sear the surface.
Pour in 150 to 200ml fresh coconut water and braise over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Scatter over 3 stalks of chopped spring onion, a few slices of chili and a little pepper, then serve hot with white rice.
Tips
Look for a firm bodied gourami with no off smell; one of 900g to 1.2kg has thick flesh that holds together in a braise.
Small, deep yellow turmeric roots that are not shriveled smell better pounded by hand than blended.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so stirring it into the fish sauce before it goes on the fish spreads it evenly.
The golden brown color comes from the turmeric and the reducing sauce, so a long boil to force more color only dries the flesh.
A gentle tilt of the pot replaces the chopsticks, which break the pieces.
If the coconut water reduces too fast, hot water tops it up; cold water makes the flesh seize.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.