Chu Chee Pla or Sea Bass in Spicy Coconut Sauce. This menu is my favorite menu at all time. I grew up with this meal and my dad always spoil me with this food since I was a little girl. I be able to prepare this menu for him is my honor to giving of kindness back in return because they have been taking care and raise me and now it my time to take care of them when they are getting older. This is our house traditional. Bring back memories as always!
This menu has sweetness flavor from coconut milk and spiciness from Chu Chee paste that I prepare from scratch. However, if you don't have much time to prepare from scratch then you will use red curry paste which you can find it at Asian grocery store. I am sure I will have it there. As you know, most of Thai food always taste spicy. In our house flavor of ingredients is for medium spicy if you love more spicy then add more paste or more chili powder if you prepare from scratch. If you prefer mild then you will put less paste and add some more coconut milk to reduce spiciness. Steps of how I prepare is simple, I sauté the paste and coconut milk until I smell some good scent of coconut milk then added fish, gently sauté and cover with a lid for 8 - 10 minutes. Fish meat is usually cook really quick, if I cook too long it will fall apart. So, this step need to gently stir the fish. I serve this menu with sliced cucumber and steamed jasmine rice. However, for side vegetable can be other vegetable like fresh long green been, cabbage, or carrot.
Menu Ingredients Serving for 4
Chu Chee Paste Ingredients
2 heads of Shallot
4 cloves of Garlic
1 tablespoon of Thai Chili Powder (can also use dried chili)
2 teaspoons of salt
Chu Chee Paste Preparation
This step, I use mortar and pestle to prepare the paste.
Added and pressed garlic until purée
Added shallot and pressed until smooth
Then added chili powder and salt, gently press until everything mixed well and ready.
Chu Chee Pla Ingredients
2 pounds of Sea Bass, rinsed and dried, cut into 2 inches pieces
4 tablespoons of Chu Chee Paste
2 cups of Coconut Milk
3 tablespoons of Fish Sauce
1 and 1/2 tablespoons of Palm Sugar
hand full of Thai Basil Leaves
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
Chu Chee Pla Preparation
In a large dutch oven pot, added olive oil and sauté Chu Chee Paste for 2 - 3 minutes
Added 1/4 cup of coconut milk and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Then added fish sauce and palm sugar, stirred until all palm sugar dissolved then added the left of coconut milk and stirred well.
Added fish and gently stirred for about 2 minutes then cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 8 - 10 minutes.
Place fish on a serving plate and pour some sauce over the fish then decorate with basil leaves and some fresh sliced red chili.
Serving this menu with steamed Jasmine rice and some side vegetables. However, this time I served with sliced cucumber. Go well with this menu.
I remembered when I was a little girl, I would help my dad prepare this menu in the kitchen which our kitchen was pretty much outdoor kitchen. Thai food usually have a lot of garlic which it is strong smell and all the spices and spicy chili. So, our kitchen in the countryside everywhere would be open air which we call out door kitchen. I will always doing something inside the kitchen helping my dad cooking this menu. I grew up with this menu and for the fish in our town would use river fish because that it very easy to find in our town. However, this menu can be able to use any types of fish you prefer. Personally, I love sea Saba fish this type of fish can be found at Asian market grocery store, of course. Preparing this menu here in my home is not the delicious as much as that I have this menu with my parents, it's wonderful meal that brought back all of my memories how I grew up with this menu. Oh well, I missed home, of course, but it is not anymore because my parents are here with me today.
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