Thai Chili Paste With Mackerel Recipe (น้ำพริกปลาทู)
Thai Chili Paste With Mackerel Recipe (Nam Prik Pla Tu น้ำพริกปลาทู)
In my opinion, nam prik pla tu is one of the best culinary uses for whole short mackerel that I’ve ever seen. This divine Thai chili paste is incredibly addictive. It’s a gorgeous combination of smoky, spicy, salty, and sour. And it’s pretty straightforward to make.
Pla tu actually refers to a type of short mackerel that is native to Southeast Asia. You can often find frozen pla tu in Asian grocery stores, and I’d recommend seeking them out because they have a unique flavor profile and texture.
Pla tu are smaller than the mackerel we are used to in Western countries. I snapped the below pic while making some nam prik pla tu in my home in Chiang Mai, Thailand to show you what they look like.
Note that in Thailand when you buy pla tu the fish has normally already been steamed. That may or may not be true when you buy it at home. The fish has an incredible natural saltiness that makes it delicious to eat on its own. However, combine it into a chili paste and you get mind-blowing results.
This recipe also works perfectly fine with canned tuna in my opinion. So don’t be deterred if you can’t find pla tu. The reason I chose canned tuna as a substitute is for convenience and because the end texture of the fish after pounding in the mortar is similar to canned tuna meat.
If you are starting the recipe with raw pla tu, you will want to steam the mackerel first for roughly 12 minutes. I like to steam fish in the oven by wrapping the short mackerel in tin foil and cooking it at 180 degrees Celsius.
The recipe for this Thai chili paste with mackerel involves flash frying your previously steamed fish and combining it in a pestle and mortar with blackened shallots, chilis, and garlic. Alternatively, if you use canned tuna all you need to do is drain the fish and plonk it in your mortar.
Blackening the shallots, chilis, and garlic in a dry pan gives them an added smoky dimension that tastes incredible. Blackening them also releases their natural oils. This is a common technique in Thai cooking when making a chili paste, particularly up in the north of the country.
Seasoning for the dish comes in the form of lime juice, some salt, fish sauce, pasteurized pla ra (optional), and some MSG, which is also optional.
I’ll dedicate an entire article in the future to pla ra. What you need to know for now is that it is a type of seasoning sauce made from fish that’s been left to ferment for months. It has a pungent, funky aroma and a wickedly good flavor.
I recommend always buying pasteurized pla ra because if you don’t treat this sauce with heat, it has been known to cause liver fluke. The pasteurized bottled version you can find on Amazon and in Asian grocery stores is perfectly safe to eat.
I use the same ingredient in my Thai salad with cucumber recipe.
(For anyone concerned about the culinary use of MSG, I’d recommend this excellent article which debunks the scare-mongering around MSG. Alternatively, just leave it out if you don’t want to use it.)
As far as accompaniments go for this Thai chili paste, you can’t go wrong with some steamed jasmine rice or some sticky rice. Soft boiled eggs also work in beautiful harmony with the paste. In Thailand, it’s popular to eat steamed vegetables such as pumpkin or eggplant with chili pastes.
You can garnish the final dish with a sprig of coriander if you like, but I wouldn’t go out any buy some fresh coriander just for that purpose.
Anyway, without further ado, here’s the recipe.
I also have a Thai cookbook, Thai Food At Home, which costs just $3.99…that’s less than the price of a Pad Thai at your local takeout. You can grab a copy here.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings | people |
- 2 whole pla tu fish You can substitute with 1 can brined tuna
- 5-8 whole small Thai shallots, peeled
- 7 whole garlic cloves Or 14 small Thai garlic cloves
- 10-15 whole Thai bird's eye chilis
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 pinch MSG
- 1 half lime
- 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
- Half tablespoon pla ra
- Half cup neutral oil
Ingredients
| |
- If using pla tu, begin by shallow shallow frying in the oil for 5-7 minutes over a medium to high heat. Make sure your fish is already steamed before frying. Remove from pan, drain on kitchen paper.
- If using tuna or if you've already fried your mackerel, get a dry pan, place over a medium heat, and add shallots, chilis and garlic. Turn regularly with tongs until charred (about 5-8 mins).
- Remove ingredients from dry pan, cool for 3-5 minutes. Then, place shallots, garlic, and chilis in your mortar with the teaspoon of salt. Begin to pound vigorously for 3 minutes until you get a coarse paste.
- Meanwhile, your mackerel will be cooling off. After pounding other ingredients in mortar, delicately peel the mackerel flesh away from the spine of the fish, taking care to look and feel for any bones remaining in the flesh. Place mackerel meat in the mortar.
- If using canned tuna, simply drain and place in the mortar. Now, add fish sauce, pla ra, and MSG if using. Pound for a good 3 minutes until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. To finish, add some lime juice to taste. Squeeze a wedge of lime in at first and add more lime juice if required.
- Serve your Thai chili paste with mackerel in a small bowl. Tjhis chili paste tastes great with some Thai sticky rice or jasmine rice. Soft boiled eggs also make for an excellent accompaniment. If you want to be healthier, cucumber, okra, and pumpkin also work well.
I lived in Thailand for a few years during my 20s during which time I fell in love with Thai food. Along with my Thai partner, I cook and eat tasty Thai dishes 3 or 4 times per week. I’m here to bring you recipes, Thai food tips, and suggested cookware for making Thai food.