Pureed fish (poon bpaa nin)

Last updated on December 23, 2024
(first published: December 23, 2024)
by Andy Souvanhphukdee

This very Lao Loum dish is easy to prepare. A few simple ingredients are turned into a delicious combination of flavours. In this recipe, farmed freshwater fish, tilapia (bpaa nin), is used. The roughly puréed paste of cooked fish and grilled shallots, garlic and chillies is served with rice and lightly boiled vegetables. Both rice and al dente vegetables are used for dipping into the purée. The vegetables suggested here may, of course, be replaced by others, such as blanched cabbage wedges, Chinese cabbage, egg plants, bamboo, beans or carrot sticks.

Ingredients
•  1 small tilapia (bpaa nin), 25 cm (10 in) long
•  2–3 C water
• 3 T padek
•  5 shallots, unpeeled
•  1 head (10 cloves) garlic, unpeeled
•  8 chillies
•  2 T coriander, chopped
•  2 T spring onions, chopped salt or fish sauce to enhance flavour

Accompanying vegetables

•  4 small chokos (chayote)
•  2 snake gourds (or 6 – 8 small courgettes)
•  1 bunch galangal shoots
Serves two to four with sticky rice.

Method
1. Put the water and padek in a medium pot, and then bring to the boil.
2. Wash the fish inside and out; chop off its tail. Cut the fish in half around its waist and place in the boiling liquid. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Grill the shallots, garlic cloves and chillies over a gas or charcoal fire until blackened.
4. When cool, remove most of the blackened skins. Leaving on a little will enhance the final flavour. Put these ingredients into a mortar and pound to a coarse paste (or pulse in a small food processor). 5. Remove the fish from the broth, reserving the liquid. Debone and skin the fish, and then add it to the paste. Pound together, adding a few tablespoons of the fish broth until the mixture has the consistency of runny porridge. Taste. Add salt or fish sauce if required.
6 Stir in the chopped coriander and spring onions. Put the finished purée in a serving bowl. For the vegetables
7. Bring 4 cups of water to the boil.
8. Prepare the vegetables. Peel chokos, halve and core them and then cut each half into quarters, lengthwise. Snap the galangal shoots into 10 cm (4 in) lengths. If using snake gourd, cut it into the same lengths as the shoots. Place all in the water. Simmer until cooked, but still firm.
9. Alternatively, the vegetables may be steamed.

Variation
Able to add egg plants for ingredient

Most of information come from Food from Northern Laos (The Boat Landing Cookbook)
Video by May Laos. Kitchen