Tadpole stew (Aw Huak)

Ingredients

• 1 bowl of tadpole
• ½ bowl of small fish
• 15 green or red chillies
• 1 bowl of basil
• 3 tablespoons of spring onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 shallots (thin sliced)
• 1 bowl of dill
• 2 stalks of lemongrass (bruise and cut)
• ½ cup of soaked sticky rice (pounded)
• 2 tablespoons of fermented fish
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 glasses of water

Method

• Put the garlic cloves and 5 of the chillies into a mortar and pound them. 
• Heat the water in a pan and add the shallots, the lemongrass, and the pounded chillies. Cover the pan for 5-10 and let the water cook. 
• Add the fermented fish, the salt, the tadpole, and the small fish into the pan. 
• Wait for 2-3 minutes before adding the soaked sticky rice. Cover the pan for 10 minutes. 
• Add the basil, the dill, and the spring onion. Cover the pan for 5 minutes again. 
• Taste the mixture and adjust if needed. 
• When it has the desired taste, transfer the tadpole stew into a bowl for serving.